


Agents Provocateurs

by krikkiter68



Category: Blackpool, Only Human, People Like Us, St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold (2009)
Genre: BDSM, Explicit Sex, F/M, Kidnapping, Misogynist Conspiracy, Murder, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Torture, multiple perspective, threats of murder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-31
Updated: 2014-11-21
Packaged: 2018-02-11 05:06:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 26
Words: 22,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2054754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krikkiter68/pseuds/krikkiter68
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the wake of AD1, an even more sinister organisation stirs underneath the streets of London.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The follow up to 'Tutti Frutti' and 'The Twelve Days of Christmas', also references 'Moonlight and Magick'.
> 
> 'Only Human' was a pilot for a BBC show that was not developed into a full series, featuring a young (and very cute) David Tennant as Tyler.
> 
> This is by some distance the darkest fic I've ever written. Contains themes that may be triggering and/or upsetting for some readers, which will be flagged in the relevant chapters.
> 
> No profit has been made or is intended from this fiction.

Maddy:

It all started one chilly morning in January, one of those dark, interminable days when rain lashes at the windows and all you want to do is stay indoors. I’d woken in my own bed, with my darling Rob curled up behind me, my whole body singing from the delicious dream I’d just had about my old friend and old flame Sir Piers and a handsome stranger called The Doctor…but I digress. It occurred to me I hadn’t heard from my friend Lara for some time, save for a Christmas card, and it was about time I phoned her again.

Rob kissed my neck as I pondered. As far as I know, she hadn’t been out with anyone since she so rightly dumped that lying, superficial cheat Tony over a year ago. (Was that too harsh? Possibly. But I’m her friend, I’m allowed to be biased.) She’d had a fling with a policeman called Peter Carlisle just before the break-up, and he sounded rather lovely.

‘Why don’t you give it a go with him?’ I’d asked her.

She had smiled, as she poured milk into her coffee.

‘It was only a fling,’ she said, a little wistfully I thought. ‘The love of his life had just left him, and I’d just found out that Tony had cheated on me with his ex. They’ll be back together now, just like they should be. And anyway,’ she said, her eyes shining, ‘we had the most perfect night together.’

I’d smiled back at her. I’d said to her before that his handcuffs could certainly come in useful at one of my parties. I started to mentally turn the diary pages for the new year. Maybe I could arrange a masked ball, with lots of gorgeous men for her to meet…

And at that point, Rob started to kiss my earlobes, igniting my senses like sparklers against the night sky. He reached around and rolled my nipples gently between his fingertips. I felt him smile against my skin as he kissed my neck and shoulders, and I parted my legs, letting him slide his hard cock against me. I leaned back against his shoulder, panting; he certainly knew how to get me going. I wondered whether I should start to grind against him, to encourage him to thrust inside me, then decided to relax; he was doing more than enough already.

It was ten o’ clock in the morning, and a watery light slanted through the gap in the curtains. Rob was sleeping blissfully beside me, snoring slightly and, once or twice, murmuring softly.

I smiled, and smoothed his hair back from his face, before sliding out of bed and into my robe and fluffy mules, before leaving the room and gently closing the door behind me. Rubbing my eyes, I descended the stairs of my little mews house, before taking hold of my mobile and dialling Lara’s number. The tone sounded, and sounded, and then I heard her voice.

‘Maddy Briar!’ she said, sounding tired. ‘Don’t you ever sleep?’

I grinned.

‘I’ve had all the sleep I can handle, thanks…anyway, Happy New Year! How was your Christmas?’

She laughed, delightedly.

‘God, Maddy, if I told you, you’d never believe it.’

This sounded very promising.

‘Oh, go on. Try me. Was it anything like one of my parties?’ I said, leaning back on my swivel chair.

She giggled.

‘Not entirely dissimilar…well. I went to the Crown Hotel – that famous swingers’ place, you know it?’

‘Oh yes. I’ve hosted quite a few little parties there.’

‘I was thinking, I’ll just unwind, have some serious peace and quiet and relaxation. It didn’t quite pan out that way…I met some very friendly people, let’s put it that way.’

‘Oh really? Go on. Spill the beans, what happened?’

‘Well…that place really lives up to its reputation. It’s always like this if you’re single,’ she said, slightly ruefully. ‘Huge great stretches of drought, interspersed by sudden downpours…’

‘It doesn’t sound like you minded the downpours one bit.’

‘I’d say. I’ve thrown my umbrella away. Anyway, they were really lovely people, they’ve promised to keep in touch and, um, I didn’t do much in the way of actually sleeping whilst I was there…’

‘Good girl!’ I said, and we both laughed.

‘Anyway, that’s enough about me, me, me,’ she said. ‘How are things with you?’

‘Couldn’t be better. Blissfully happy, actually. Listen,’ I said, ‘I’m hosting a masked ball. How does…February 15th sound to you?’

‘Very appropriate. None of that Valentine’s Day rubbish. The beginning of Spring, the sky getting lighter. The sap rising in the trees. New hope in the air.’

‘Excellent,’ I said. ‘It’s a date. Put it in your diary, right now.’

‘Great. I’ll let you get off now. I’m sure you’ll want your breakfast now. Rob and marmalade on toast.’

‘Hmm, very good. And what are you having?’

‘I’m having another sleep. Bit tired after that banquet over Christmas. I’ll be better in time for your masked ball, though.’

‘Bye, Lara,’ I said, waving at nobody.

‘Night,’ she said, sleepily.

I smiled and turned off the mobile, and clipped back upstairs, my mind whirring as I stepped into the bathroom. There was no time to waste. This was going to be the best party ever.


	2. Chapter 2

Maddy:

It was February 15, and I was standing on the marble steps of the Grand Hall, breathless with excitement. The three of us gazed out over the beautiful landscaped gardens, now shadowed in velvety darkness under a starless sky. We could see our breath freezing before us. All at once, it started to snow, in vast, whirring flakes.

‘God, it’s cold!’ Lara said, hugging her black fake fur coat around her.

‘Just a little longer,’ I said, turning my face up to the heavens and enjoying the tickle of the snowflakes as they landed on my neck and earlobes, like kisses. Rob squeezed my hand.

‘I can’t wait,’ he said, smiling. ‘But I think we should go in, before Lara freezes to death, don’t you?’

‘Of course,’ I said. ‘Sorry, Lara.’

We walked slowly up the steps, and under the shelter of the lintel of the vast arched door. I nodded at them.

‘Right. Masks at the ready.’

We reached into the bag we carried with us, and drew out our masks: Lara’s a black, furry cat mask, complete with cute pointed ears and whiskers, Rob’s a black leather Zorro mask. Mine was a white, feathery mask, which had to be packed very carefully to protect the three long, curving feathers in the centre. Suitably attired, we linked arms, and the security men nodded us through into the ballroom.

Lara gasped from where we stood at the top of the white, sweeping staircase, looking around at the ballroom below. 

‘Like it?’ I said.

‘This is amazing! Oh Maddy, thank you!’ she said, hugging me.

‘You’re very welcome,’ I said. ‘I took the liberty of asking all the male guests to send in pictures of themselves. There’s some very good-looking young men here…some of them almost as good-looking as you, darling,’ I said, this time to Rob.

They’d certainly done a fantastic job in the ballroom. White and silver drapes all around created an ethereal feel, and the already-impressive chandeliers looked as if they’d been polished to a brilliant shine. The huge, white-tableclothed dining table stood towards the back, allowing the guests to mingle on the vast dancefloor. The band struck up a chord, and we could see people approaching each other already, requesting dances.

‘Come on,’ I said, ‘let’s make our grand entrance,’ and the three of us descended the stairs.

Rob and I were greeted on all sides by our friends and associates – it seemed as if everyone we knew was there, with the exception of Piers and Sue and their family, who were currently on holiday. I introduced Lara to all of them, and they welcomed her warmly. She looked lovely in her black sparkling gown, her long, lustrous black hair matched quite beautifully by her feline mask. I wore a silver flapper dress, with matching sandals and was gratified to see men looking at us with interest. I took her to one side.

‘See anyone you like?’

She looked around, and I saw her glance land on a young man, in a hired tux. His face was obscured by a furry lion mask, with its tawny mane cascading to his shoulders.

‘That’s one hell of a cute mask,’ she said. She took a glass of champagne from a silver tray held by a passing waiter, and tossed it back.

‘That’s better,’ she said. ‘Bit nervous. Wish me luck.’

‘Of course, darling. But you won’t need it. You look gorgeous.’

She smiled and kissed my cheek. ‘Thanks,’ she said, and headed off in his direction.

I turned and walked back towards the staircase. Rob was standing on his own, and he smiled at me as I walked towards me. He was wearing a cape over his shoulders, and he looked for all the world like he was going to sweep me off my feet and carry me home with him. My heart thudded with love as I smiled back at him.

I kissed him, and we held hands as we watched Lara and the young man from a discreet distance. It was impossible to watch his expression, but his movements were animated, and I felt hopeful for her. I couldn’t help noticing that he had a very nice rear end. It was so nice, in fact, I ended up staring fixedly at it. Rob bent down towards me.

‘Miss Briar,’ he murmured, ‘I do believe you’re lusting after another man.’

I winked at him. ‘I might be.’

‘Naughty girl,’ he whispered, his voice soft thunder in my ear. ‘Detention for you I think.’

I grinned, as I watched my friend laugh and joke silently with the young man.

‘Most certainly. It’s a date, Mr Harker.’


	3. Chapter 3

Lara:

I was almost overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of the ball. Maddy and Rob were the perfect hosts, confident and graceful, shaking hands with all the glamorous guests, all of whom they seemed to know. They were kindness itself, as always, but I felt clumsy and shy speaking to these people. Small talk isn’t my strong point, and I was terrified of boring them.

I was relieved when Maddy took me to one side behind a vast marble pillar, and nodded out over towards the ballroom.

‘See anyone you like?’ she asked.

I looked out towards the crowd on the dancefloor. They all seemed a little remote to me. Then a figure turned around, and I smiled to see he was wearing a lion mask that somehow made him seem more friendly and approachable than the others. Two cats together, I thought, reaching up a hand to stroke my feline whiskers.

‘That’s one hell of a cute mask,’ I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. Just to convince myself of my confidence, I took a glass of champagne from a nearby waiter’s tray and downed it.

I decided to be honest and told her I was nervous, and she reassured me that I looked gorgeous. I thanked her, blushing behind my mask: she always says the nicest things, does Maddy. I tried to convince myself her words were true as I headed off down the stairs, hoping not to trip and fall in front of the glossy crowd.

I approached the figure on the dancefloor from behind, and tapped him on the shoulder. He looked taller in the flesh, and as he turned I could see he wore a half-mask; I could see his perfectly pink, kissable lips suddenly parting to flash a dazzling smile at me, causing goosebumps to rise all along my back.

‘Oh hiya!’ he said. ‘Sorry, I was miles away.’ 

He held out a long hand.

‘My name’s Tyler. Yours?’

‘Lara,’ I said, smiling back at him. ‘Please to meet you.’

One hour later, we were still chatting away. Maddy and Rob seemed to have melted away into the throng. Tyler was leaning towards me intently, and his beautiful brown eyes gleamed from in the lights from the chandeliers.

All of a sudden, the band struck up again and I saw a wave of people flowing together, their hands joining for the first of the slow dances. I felt Tyler’s warm hand ghosting against my bare back, and I shivered with pleasure.

‘Dance?’ he murmured.

‘Please,’ I said, as he embraced me. We slow-danced together, and I felt the fur of his mask stroking my neck as he nuzzled my shoulder. It was all I could do not to kiss him right there and then, but somehow I contained myself.

I held him tighter against me, and all of a sudden I had a vivid memory of my last slow-dance; the dance in the Blackpool ballroom with DI Peter Carlisle. It was probably because he felt similar: the same broad shoulders tapering down to his deliciously slender waist and hips, the same grace of movement, whilst dancing, steering my uncertain heels away from the other guests, the same lovely curve to his lips…and, hmm, big feet, too. I closed my eyes, and let him lead me, let the music wash over me, enjoying the feel of a warm body next to my own after many months. I held him close and sighed to feel his erection pressing against my flank.

With a smattering of applause, the music stopped. I opened my eyes again, and smiled at him, pointing at his mask. 

‘Aren’t you getting a bit hot in that?’

He grinned. 

‘You could say that.’

He undid the strap under his chin and tilted the mask back so that it rested on top of his ruffled dark hair. I held my breath: he was absolutely gorgeous. He does look like a younger Peter Carlisle, I thought, then killed the thought: why compare the two of them? I saw his eyes gleam, as if a particularly mischievous thought had occurred to him.

‘It’s a shame, but now I’ve taken it off, I’m probably gonna get thrown out, so that looks like the end of our evening…unless, I dunno, you’d like to come with me?’

My heart thumped. ‘OK, why not?’ I said. It may have come out as a squeak.

He grinned. ‘OK, I’ll just go and arrange a cab…’

He kissed my cheek, and walked towards the cloakroom. I took my mobile out of my bag and texted Maddy:

‘Hi M. Lovely party. Must go something’s come up ;)’

A couple of seconds later, I received a text from her:

‘What did I tell you L? Good for you. Have fun. ;) Mx’

I smiled, then looked up and saw Tyler walking towards me, his coat laid over his arm.

‘You ready?’ he said, slipping his arm round my shoulders.

‘Oh yes,’ I said breathlessly, ‘I’m ready, all right.’


	4. Chapter 4

Tyler took my hand at the top of the marble staircase, and led me down to where the Rolls Royce stood ticking on the gravel driveway. He smiled as he opened the back door to me, and I climbed in, relaxing back into the luxuriant leather seats.

He climbed in behind me, and closed the screen in front of him.

‘Thought we could use a little privacy,’ he murmured in his lovely Scottish tones. He leaned towards me and kissed me, passionately. I wrapped my arms around him and held him close, pulling him down on top of me. I sighed and closed my eyes as he kissed my neck.

‘You’re gorgeous,’ he murmured against my skin. ‘I can’t wait til we get home…’

I felt him starting to thrust against my leg, and I tapped him playfully on the nose.

‘Humping my leg, are you? Bad puppy,’ I said, teasing him; he was younger than I by several years. He whimpered like a dog, then grinned.

‘I’d rather be humping your pussy,’ he whispered, as he slid his hand under the hem of my dress and stroked up between my legs, exclaiming softly as he felt the ridge of my stockings.

‘Lovely. I cannae wait to get you home and unwrap you…’ he said, as he pulled my silk knickers to one side. He groaned aloud as he felt me.

‘Oh God, ye’re so wet,’ he whispered. ‘I’m gonna love fucking you…’

‘I can’t wait,’ I whispered back, as I unzipped his trousers, ‘I can tell you’re ready to play, too.’

We kissed and kissed, our tongues battling as we stroked each other, until we realised that the car’s engine had fallen silent. Tyler swore quietly as he zipped himself up and withdrew his hand from me. He paid the driver and helped me out of the car.

Snow was falling, the pavement was icy beneath our feet as we skidded and stumbled towards a tall office building. He kissed me, breathlessly, as he unlocked the front door, and we practically fell into the lobby. He slammed the door shut, and we held hands as we raced up the stairs.

‘Dammit,’ he gasped, ‘why did I have to live on the top floor? Bloody lifts haven’t worked for years.’

I squeezed his hand.

‘It’ll be worth it…’

Finally, we reached the landing, and he kissed me again, cupping my crotch and stroking me as he unlocked the door to his flat. It swung open, and he grabbed me and lifted me off my feet, stumbling towards his large bed.

We fell onto it, kissing each other hungrily, now, as we stripped each other, buttons flying in all directions. He moaned as I stroked the soft material over his crotch; his cock was as hard as an iron bar, and I wanted him inside me, right then and there.

Finally, he was naked, and I was just wearing my suspenders and stockings. I reached to unhook my suspender belt, and then saw he was looking down at me, his eyes gleaming with lust in the near-darkness.

‘Keep them on,’ he said huskily, ‘please.’

I kissed him, running a hand through his short, silky dark hair.

‘Fuck me, Tyler,’ I sighed, parting my legs for him. He nodded, and I lifted my hips off the bed as I felt him slide within me.

‘You like that, huh?’ he said, panting now.

‘Oh God, yeah. More…’ I said, throwing my head back.

I raised my legs and, taking the hint, he took hold of my ankles and placed my heels on his shoulders, fucking me hard and fast.

‘I’m a bit busy right now…but play with yourself if you like…it’ll be fun to watch…’ he said, unsteadily, his breath ragged.

I played with my clit as he watched, our excitement spiralling, until the room span around and shattered. I came, again and again, and by the time I heard him shout out loud and stream inside me, I was barely there at all.

We collapsed against each other, exhausted. He withdrew and flopped down beside me, his chest heaving, stretching a long arm around my shoulders.

‘That was a fun evening,’ he said, ‘thanks.’

‘Pleasure was all mine,’ I said, smiling at him.

He smiled back, closing his eyes. Nothing more needed to be said. He drifted off to sleep, and I held him, loving the gentle curves of his eyelids with their long fringes of eyelashes. I lay awake for a while, listening to his breathing and the kiss of the snowflakes, until I fell asleep too.

I was woken by a bright beam of sunlight shining into my eyes. I winced slightly, and felt his warm body next to mine. He was fast asleep, lying on his front. I smiled down at him; he had, surely, the tautest, cutest arse is all the world.

I felt a little chilly – there was a draught coming from somewhere. I looked around and saw a slatted wooden wardrobe in the corner of the room. There’s probably a robe, or perhaps a T-shirt in there, I thought. I’m sure he won’t mind me looking through it, given the circumstances. I stirred, careful not to wake him, climbed off the bed and walked towards it.

I opened the wardrobe doors, and got the shock of my life.


	5. Chapter 5

I screamed and recoiled, the backs of my knees striking the edge of the bed, and I pointed shakily towards the wardrobe, as Tyler, now fully awake, clasped my shoulders in an attempt to reassure me.

‘What the fuck is that?!’ I shrieked, hyperventilating, my eyes fixed on the naked figure that had fallen onto its front, red hair concealing its face and its arms and legs horribly askew.

‘Shh. Lara, Lara, it’s OK,’ he murmured. ‘Really it is. It’s a model, that’s all.’

‘You keep mannequins in your wardrobe? Or…oh please, no, Tyler. Tell me it’s not a sex doll.’

I looked at him, and saw his face flushing.

‘It’s not a sex doll. I promise. It’s to do with my job, my employers sent it to me.’

I sat down, shaking, as he placed an arm round my shoulders.

‘OK. I know this is gonna sound a little unlikely, but I should explain. Oh God, I should have told ye sooner but…anyway. Few years ago, I was down on my luck, and my landlord, Cam, he let me rent this building in return for his installing webcams in my room.’

‘Oh God,’ I said, starting to panic again, ‘are we being watched? Were we filmed last night?’

‘No! I insisted they were switched off and removed in the end. Cam said that was OK, he’d switch off my digital assistant, this sort of virtual reality woman, called Ada, too. I haven’t heard anything from him for ages, but then this company sent this model. Ada Version 2, she’s called. I assume they’ve taken over Cam’s business or something,’ he said, running a hand distractedly through his short, dark hair.

I gingerly approached and turned the figure onto its back. Ada Version 2 had a very strong likeness to a pretty young red-haired woman. Her skin was petal-soft, with intermittent moles and tiny, downy hairs; to my astonished eyes, she was anatomically correct in every way. Then her eyes clicked open, like a doll’s, and I shuddered.

‘God, those eyes, Tyler…there’s no soul there…’

He put his hand on my shoulder again. 

‘I know. She gives me the creeps, too, a bit. I dunno what tae do with her, though. If I put her out by the bins, that’s gonna look suspicious. And I don’t wanna piss those people off, whoever they are.’

He hooked his hands under Ada’s arms and manhandled her back into the wardrobe.

‘Christ, she’s quite heavy…there,’ he said, closing the doors again. He pretended to brush the dust from his palms, then grinned at me.

‘Sorry for the shock…let me make it up to you with breakfast.’

I smiled, palely.

‘OK. It’s a deal.’

Ten minutes later, we were curled up in bed together, devouring buttered toast and taking sips of tea. Tyler was telling me about his job.

‘A detective, eh?’ I said. ‘Can you tell me anything at all about it?’

He laughed. ‘It’s not quite high-level stuff…usually, it’s about tracking people to see if they’re being unfaithful. You know, some guy will come in, saying, I think my wife, my girlfriend’s acting a bit suspiciously…’

‘Just men?’ I said. ‘No wives coming to you and saying, “I think my husband’s having a fling?” ‘

‘Hmm, yeah. Funny that, I do only seem to have male clients. You’d think there’d be a mixture, wouldn’t you?’

I smiled up at him from the pillow. 

‘Do I seem suspicious to you?’

‘No. You seem utterly open to me. Heart on your sleeve,’ he said, kissing me all the way up your arm. ‘Be careful no one tears it.’

He lay on top of me, and we embraced, before kissing and kissing once again, and I stroked the warm skin of his back, blissfully feeling the heat of a human body against mine.

 

‘Sign on the dotted line, please,’ said the hard-faced man in the suit.

Tony nodded, and added his signature. The words were hard to read in the dim light, but he suspected it was no more than standard terms and conditions. He sat back in his chair, pleased with himself.

‘So you think you can find her again?’ he said.

The figure smiled in the half-light. From where Tony was sitting, he could see that half the man’s features were in total shadow, as if he had half a face.

‘Trust us, Mr Ryan. We’ll get Lara back to you, and she’ll be even better than you remember. And she won’t be able to disappear again, however much she wants to.’


	6. Chapter 6

Maddy:

I woke in Rob’s arms, snuggling gratefully against his warm shoulder. It was Sunday morning, and we were in love, and we were together. He looked so beautiful in his sleep, his moony eyelids closed and his mouth softly pursed. I couldn’t resist kissing his face all over. He opened his eyes, and smiled at me.

‘”What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?”’ he asked, teasing me. I shivered with pleasure as he ran his hand down my back and patted my bottom. 

‘All set for your detention later?’ he asked. 

‘Oh, yes!’ I said, and we both giggled.

‘And you know what you’ve got to do?’

‘Mmm,’ I said, as he kissed me. ‘I’m looking forward to it.’

I rolled onto my side and he spooned up behind me. I closed my eyes as he kissed my neck.

‘Make love to me, darling,’ I murmured, sighing as I felt him pushing inside me.

Hours later, I was sprawled on the bed, with my exercise book open in front of me, pondering over the essay Rob had asked me to write. He was downstairs, rehearsing his speeches for Berowne in ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’. I’d dressed up in a tiny, navy pleated skirt, a crisp white blouse and a red, messily-knotted tie, with the black silk knickers, seamed stockings and suspenders that he loved. I smiled as I wrote; I was really going to enjoy our session.

At four o’clock, I opened the door to the study and sauntered in. He was standing, dressed in a silver-grey suit, looking out of the window.

‘Ah, Miss Briar,’ he said, ‘there you are. Do you have your essay with you.’

‘Yes, Sir,’ I answered.

‘Right. Bend over the desk and read it to me.’

I opened the exercise book and did as he asked, resting my elbows on the rippled wood. I heard his breath hitch.

‘That skirt, Miss Briar, is indecently short. Were you intending to display yourself to me in that manner?’

‘Oh yes, Sir,’ I answered.

‘You naughty girl,’ he murmured, with a smile in his voice. I felt him running his hands over my bottom, before taking hold of the hem of my knickers and pulling them down to my feet. I turned my head and pouted at him as I stepped out of them.

‘Eyes front, Miss Briar. Spread your legs. That’s better. Now, read your essay to me.’

‘”The Man I Love”, by Madeline Briar, aged 28,’ I began, gasping slightly as he caressed my left buttock, then the right.

‘” The man I love – “’ I began, jolting as he suddenly smacked my right buttock.

‘Repetition, Miss Briar. Do continue.’

‘”He is tall and slender, with dark silky hair, and lovely eyes which are a deep amber brown colour,’ I said, trying not to roll my hips as he alternated between spanking and caressing my buttocks. 

‘”When we go out he dresses in a smart tuxedo, but at home he likes to wear sweatshirts and jeans. He is gorgeous either way. I prefer him best when he is naked, though.’

‘You sound quite excited about this mystery man,’ Rob said. He pushed his index finger inside my pussy and twirled it. 

‘Hmm. You are excited, and very wet, aren’t you? Carry on.’

‘”I love him with all my heart. I love his long, graceful feet, his slender, well-built calves and his strong, muscular thighs. His soft, perfectly flat belly, with the appendix scar I love to lick…’

‘I bet you do, you saucy minx,’ he purred, as he pushed another finger inside me while spanking me with his free hand. ‘Do go on.’

‘”I love his well-formed chest, with its tufts of dark, furry hair, and the musk of his armpits. His powerful shoulders, and his long arms which he wraps around me at night, keeping me safe. I love his graceful neck, and his beautiful face and his lovely eyes. I love his nose, which he thinks is too big, but I think it’s perfect. His soft, warm lips, that kiss me, and his tongue…”’

Rob dropped to his knees behind me, and I squealed as he thrust his tongue inside my pussy.

‘”His tongue that strokes me and makes me come,”’ I managed to gasp. He kissed my clitoris, then stood up again.

‘You’ve missed out a few important things there, Miss Briar,’ he said, rubbing my right buttock in small circles. ‘Would you care to describe them?’

‘It would be my pleasure, Sir,’ I said, my head swimming with pleasure. The words were beginning to blur in front of me.

‘I love his beautiful little rounded bum, which is pert and cute, and I can never resist giving it a little smack when he walks past me. His furry balls, which I love to kiss and stroke, and…’

‘Say it, Miss Briar…’

‘”I love his cock,”’ I said, gasping as he spanked me again. ‘”He truly has a magnificent, beautiful big cock. I love the way it stiffens and stands up straight, just for me. I love to suck and lick it until he shoots his sweet load down my throat. I love the way it fills me so completely. I love it when he fucks me.”’

‘What a beautiful line, Miss Briar. And what is his name?’

‘His name is Rob Harker…’

He flung his arms around me from behind, and I turned my head and we kissed and kissed.

‘Oh darling,’ he murmured between kisses, ‘I have to fuck you…’

‘Please…’

He thrust inside me, fucking me furiously, as I spread wider and stroked myself, and in no time at all, I came around him, crying out. He gripped my buttocks and shouted my name as he exploded inside me.

He collapsed on top of me, holding me against him. I felt his heart thumping against me, then he kissed my neck.

‘That was fantastic,’ he said, gasping. ‘Hmm. I’d like to be disciplined, next time.’

I smiled, glowing with happiness.

‘It would be my pleasure, you naughty boy.’


	7. Chapter 7

Lara:

It was now March, and I was spending nearly all my time in Tyler’s extraordinary flat. He phoned my mobile every day at work, and on hearing the tone, I’d take it and dash to the Ladies’, exchanging whispered dirty talk with him as we stroked ourselves. All my colleagues remarked I had a glow about me, and I would just smile back, and keep them guessing.

One Friday, I was climbing up the endless steps from the tube station to the Docklands Light Railway, my head feeling lighter and lighter. My mobile rang and I drew it out, excitement cruising through me as I saw his number on the display.

‘Hi Lara,’ he said at the other end, sounding breathless. ‘I cannae wait to see you, darlin’.’

‘I know,’ I murmured into the phone, ‘I can’t wait to see you either. Preferably naked.’

He let out a sound between a gasp and a laugh. 

‘Oh, yeah. I’m sae hard right now. All of me wants all of you.’

‘Mmm,’ I said, as I boarded the train. ‘I can’t wait.’

I made it to the very front of the driverless train that would take me to Tyler, and trembled with excitement.

‘You on the train?’

‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘It’s gonna be soon. And it’s gonna be good.’

‘You wet, Lara?’ he asked, in a growl.

‘Very,’ I whispered. I looked around; the other passengers were chatting, laughing or reading whilst wearing headphones. The fact I was in such close proximity to total strangers was somehow turning me on even more.

‘I want you, Tyler. Oh God, I want you. It’s all I can do not to start humping this seat, thinking of you…’ I said, laughing softly.

‘I wish I was that fucking seat right now, Lara…I havenae touched myself all day. I’m savin’ myself for ye…’

‘Mmm, I can see it now. So hard but such velvet skin, reared up and eager for me…’

At last, the train reached its destination. Heart in mouth, I rushed through the barrier, I skidded down the steps, and practically ran down the winding, near-deserted streets, all the way to his front door.

I rang his doorbell, laid my head against the wood and heard him thundering down the stairs. Seconds later, the door was flung open.

‘Darlin’!’ he cried, seizing my hand and pulling me in.

We rushed up the three flights to his flat, and through the open door. Kissing frantically, we stumbled towards the bedroom, tearing each others’ clothes off and flinging them aside. We fell on the unmade bed together, pulling off our remaining underwear as we did so.

‘Cannae wait,’ he murmured, between passionate kisses, ‘gotta have ye now.’

‘God, yeah,’ I replied, shifting my weight on the bed as I positioned myself on my hands and knees. I could feel my own slickness between my thighs, and I shuddered with desire. I gave him a sultry look over my shoulder, and tossed my head.

‘Come and get it,’ I purred.

He looked stunned and drunk with lust, and he could only nod, as he took hold of my shoulders and thrust inside me, as I screamed with pleasure.

‘God, yeah…we can scream all we like, sweetheart, it’s just us, just us, oh God…’ he gasped, fucking me harder as he rolled and pinched my nipples between his fingertips. The sweet, sharp pressure was enough to tip me over the edge, and I screamed again as I rippled around him.

I came three more times, and bucked hard as he screamed and streamed inside me, and the bed rushed up to meet us as we collapsed. For a second, I thought I had passed out; then I heard him groan softly into my hair. He kissed my neck.

‘Thank you,’ he murmured, ‘that was amazing.’

‘Pleasure was all mine,’ I said. He lay across me, stroking and untangling my hair, for several minutes, before stirring. I rolled over and we smiled at each other.

‘Still want to go to that party?’ he said. ‘Or do you fancy a second round?’

‘Party first, round later,’ I said. He looked disappointed.

‘Do I have to wait that long?’ he said, pouting.

‘What makes you think we won’t have that second round at the party?’ I said, kissing him. 

I held him in my arms and rocked him against me. The wardrobe door was hanging open, very slightly. I tried not to think about what was inside it.


	8. Chapter 8

Meanwhile, in a cavernous building beneath the City of London, a conspiracy was unfolding. A figure wearing white and purple robes stalked the corridors, keeping watch. Presently, another figure appeared from the shadows and joined them.

‘The plan is ripe, Brother?’ said the first figure.

‘Aye, Brother. The holding pens are ready, and everything has been arranged for the final step.’

The figure reached for the fold in his robes, and clutched the handle of the concealed butcher’s knife.

‘That is excellent, Brother,’ said the second figure. ‘And what is the progress of the dolls?’

The first figure smiled.

‘The dolls are ready to march, Brother.’

 

Lara:

The party was being held in a smart maisonette in Hackney. I squeezed Tyler’s hand as the taxi pulled up to the kerb. He took my hand and helped me out of the low seat, and put his arm around my shoulders as we went to the front door.

Tyler’s friend, Andy, opened the door and hugged him in greeting, then kissed my cheek and ushered us both indoors. Andy’s girlfriend, Jude, smiled at us as she poured our drinks. It was a lively party, and getting livelier; people were chatting and laughing all around; evidently things had been going for several hours. Tyler and me held hands; we exchanged small talk, for a while, before becoming too entranced by each other to notice the other guests.

Soon enough, the music started in the living room, and slowly, people rose from the comfortable multicoloured sofas and floor cushions and started to dance. Tyler held me close as the syncopated rhythm of ‘Strict Machine’ by Goldfrapp sounded out, his hands wandering over my back, his breath hot against my ear.

‘I’m sae hard for ye…’ he whispered.

‘I can tell,’ I whispered back, squeezing his arse. He moaned quietly and squirmed against me in response, before bending his head down to kiss me.

‘Getting’ hot in here,’ he murmured against my neck, ‘fancy some fresh air?’  
I nodded, and he took my hand and led me towards the back door. As we left, I heard Andy remark cheekily, ‘Talk about dancing being sexual intercourse standing upright…’

We made our way to the back door, and pushed it open, quietly. It was a tiny, paved garden, and the trees were festooned with twinkling fairy lights. 

‘It’s beautiful, Tyler…’

‘Not as beautiful as you,’ he said quietly, and smiled. 

We kissed each other, hard, as he pressed me against the wall.

‘We’ll have to be quick, before someone comes out for a smoke,’ I said, gasping as my desire started spiralling out of control.

‘This is not gonna take that long…’ he said, his voice catching. 

I turned around, placing my hands against the wall.

‘Do it, now,’ I gasped.

He nodded, then pulled my knickers to one side, and I nearly cried out as he thrust inside me. He fucked me hard and fast, gasping softly as he stroked my pulsing bud. I came in powerful waves around him as he erupted, coming back to myself with my face pressed against cold brick.

He groaned quietly as he withdrew and zipped himself up, then took me into his arms and hugged me.

‘You OK?’

‘Never better,’ I said, smiling at him under the soft lights. ‘Come on, they’ll be wondering where we are.’

‘I think they might have guessed already,’ Tyler said, and giggled softly.

 

Steve Ambrose, the Grandmaster of AD1, kicked and struggled as the robed figures pinned him against a marble pillar.

‘What is the meaning of this…’ he snarled. His eyes widened as the figure nearest to him unmasked himself.

‘YOU!’

‘Hello, cousin,’ Josh Bentley sneered. 

‘You…you were conspiring against me, all this time! My own relative! I got you into this society, you little shit!’ Steve shouted.

Josh grinned, and started to pace.

‘That’s as maybe. Oh, you’ve done some good work, I’ll give you that. But you’re part of the old order. Our new order is after something a little more…hardcore, as they say. You only wanted women to be downtrodden. We want them crushed altogether.’

Steve could only watch, as a brawny hand clamped over his mouth, and one of the figures drew out a knife from within his robes.

Seconds later, his corpse was lying on the floor as the men unmasked themselves. Josh nodded with satisfaction.

‘Is everything prepared, Brothers?’

‘Yes, Great Leader,’ they chanted.

‘What is our aim?’ Josh intoned.

‘The utter subjugation and destruction of women,’ they chanted.

The candlelights flickered from the chandeliers, as they paused, and chanted:

‘We are the Winged Serpents.’


	9. Chapter 9

Maddy:

I sat at the desk in the study, crossing and uncrossing my legs, as I waited for Rob to get ready, enjoying the faint rasp of my black silk stockings. I wore no underwear, and my pussy was tingling with excitement. Not for the first time, I was glad I’d kept my black graduation gown and mortar board; they were very handy to have for these kind of occasions.

I heard a shy rap on the door.

‘Come,’ I barked. Seconds later it was pushed open, and Rob was standing diffidently in the doorway. He wore long black serge trousers, scuffed black shoes, an old, ink-stained red jumper, and a matching red tie, knotted messily under the frayed collar of a white shirt. Trying to keep a smile off my face, I affected a glare.

‘Yes, boy? What is it?’ I snapped.

‘My name’s Rob Harker, Miss,’ he said, meekly. ‘I’ve been sent to see you.’

‘I see. Close the door, Harker,’ I said, excitement coiling within me. He pushed the door closed and stood, head slightly bowed.

‘Look at me when I’m talking, boy,’ I said quietly. He raised his head, and, unhitching my gown slightly, I crossed my legs. He swallowed, looking nervous. I stood up, and sauntered over to him.

‘Now, why have you been sent to me?’ I said to him.

‘My general appearance, Miss, has been described as scruffy. I have smoked cigarettes behind the bike sheds, and been frequently late to lessons. And…’

He lowered his head again. I cupped his chin with my hand, and raised it. Even in my stilettos, I was still a good eight inches shorter than he was.

‘Don’t be shy, boy. What other breaches of the rules have you committed?’

‘I…played with myself, Miss,’ he said, in a voice that seemed to have no breath behind it.

‘I see,’ I said, gravely. ‘And you know what the penalty should be, all things considered?’

‘Expulsion, Miss.’

‘Exactly, Harker,’ I said, walking over to the desk again. ‘This time, however, I’m giving you a second chance.’

‘Oh, thank you, Miss…!’

‘Having said that, you have to do something for me. Now, walk over to this desk.’

He lowered his head and walked towards it, and I noticed his folded hands were covering his crotch.

‘Place your hands flat on the desk and bend over, Harker.’

He did so, and he gasped as I reached around and unbuttoned his trousers, and yanked them down along with his underwear, exposing him entirely. I reached forward again, and purred with delight as I took hold of his tall, thick cock.

‘Harker,’ I murmured, ‘you’re clearly a young man with a lot of potential.’ I stroked him briefly, and he shuddered with desire.

‘Thank you, Miss,’ he whispered.

‘Later, I shall guide you in the arts of pleasuring a woman. But first, I must punish you. Now, Harker, choose a number between four and seven.’

‘Six, Miss,’ he said. 

I picked up a black leather tawse from the desk and slapped it against my palm, before striking him first on his left buttock, then the right. He winced and shuddered as I continued to whip him, six times on either side, then slumped against the desk as I finished.

‘There,’ I said, tenderly, as I laid the tawse down on the desk and ruffled his hair. ‘That wasn’t so bad, was it?’

‘Thank you, Miss. I…I enjoyed it.’

I looked down at him, at his exposed, reddened bottom and fiercely erect cock, and smiled.

‘Very good, Harker. You please me,’ I said, walking over to the chair and sitting down. ‘Now, come and kneel in front of me.’

I spread my legs as he did so, and looked benevolently at him.

‘Have you done this before, Harker?’ I asked.

‘Never, Miss.’

‘But you’ve thought about it?’

‘Oh yes, Miss. I’ve thought about it…with you.’

He bent forward and peppered my clitoris with kisses, until I started gasping. His tongue stirred and explored me, and my, did he ever have a long tongue. I looked down and his eyes, burning with lust and intensity, burned into mine. I stroked his head and twisted my fingers in his silky hair, until I came explosively against his mouth.

‘That’s it, Harker,’ I gasped, ‘oh, you good boy.’

I stood and walked unsteadily over to the table and lay down upon it, spreading my legs, wantonly, as far as they would go.

‘Come and get your reward,’ I said breathlessly. He walked over and without another word he thrust hard inside me, as I wrapped my legs around his back. He bent down and we kissed and kissed, never once stopping until he cried out and streamed inside me.

He gasped as he came back to himself, propping himself up on his elbows, then he raised his head and smiled at me.

‘I don’t think it would be possible to love you any more than I do right now,’ he murmured, his eyes shining, as he kissed me again.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story turns very dark from the end of this chapter.

Lara:

I stirred sleepily in Tyler’s bed, as I was woken by a beam of sunlight shining in from a gap in the curtains. He was still fast asleep, lying on his back, and I turned contentedly onto my side, wrapping my arm around his gently heaving chest.

His skin looked so beautifully soft in the half-light and, unable to resist, I reached forward and placed a line of gentle kisses down his neck. He tasted so good. I glanced down to where the sheet half-covered him, and smiled. It was time to give him the loveliest of wake-up calls…

Tyler murmured against the pillow as I continued my descent down his body. I ran my tongue over each of his rosy, pebbled nipples, teasing them until they peaked, before making my way down his abdomen. I gazed at the tender faultline of his appendix spar. I considered licking it, then remembered how sensitive he was in that area; I didn’t want him to wake up, not yet.

I ghosted my mouth over his navel, burying my nose in his musky profusion of hair; he smelled so good. His cock was semi-erect, and beginning to stir already, as if seeking me. I smiled, and took it inside my mouth, stirring it gently with my tongue.

I heard him moan suddenly, and I glanced up. His eyes opened slowly, and focused on me. His cock stiffened suddenly, and I took hold of its base, sliding my lips slowly up and down against his increasing length. He broke into an incredulous grin and, had I been able to, I would have smiled straight back at him.

‘Not every day I get a visit from the angel of the morning,’ he said, his voice full of greedy pleasure. He reached down, took hold of a handful of my long black hair, and gently clasped it behind my head in an improvised ponytail. He looked into my eyes, his own eyes black and intense in the half-light.

‘I want to see you,’ he said, unsteadily. ‘I want to see everything.’

He stroked my hair and face as I gradually sped up, teasing him with tongue flicks underneath the straining crest before plunging back down, until he let out a gasp and bit the pillow.

‘Cannae take it any more…God, Lara, please fuck me…’ he murmured.

I gradually released him, then sat up and straddled him. He caressed my hair as it cascaded down past my shoulders.

‘How much do you want me?’ I whispered.

‘More than anything, Lara. More than anything in the world.’

I took hold of his hard, pulsing cock and slowly, slowly sank down upon it, inch by inch, as he gazed up at me. He reached up and cupped my breasts, circling my hardened nipples with his thumbs. I bucked against him, my excitement rising and rising as he reached between my legs and caressed us where we joined. 

He sat up and pressed his face into my breasts, and I twisted my fingers in his short, dark silky hair as he kissed and licked them all over. I felt him thrusting up inside me, and I gasped, wrapping my free arm across his back and holding on tight, as he bucked underneath like an unbroken colt.

He nipped my right nipple and I screamed as the intense pleasure tipped me over the edge, pulsing around him. Seconds later, he cried out and streamed inside me, and the bed came rushing up to meet me as I collapsed against him.

We lay quietly for a few seconds, holding each other, our bodies shining with sweat, before we kissed. Blissfully, I rolled off him, and we wrapped our arms around each other, before gliding gently into sleep.

I woke several hours later to feel him gently stroking my cheek. I opened my eyes, to see him smiling at me.

‘Morning, beautiful,’ he said. ‘Fancy spending the rest of the day with me?’

‘I’d love to,’ I said, ‘but I’ve got to go back and finish off my work project for tomorrow.’

‘Oh,’ he said, his face falling slightly. He looked so disappointed, I felt bad for him. I leaned forward and kissed the tip of his nose.

‘Never mind,’ I said, ‘there’s always tomorrow night. And you can always join me in the shower, now…’

He beamed. ‘Excellent idea!’

Minutes later, we were kissing beneath the stream of hot water, our hands sliding over each other. I could feel he was ready for another round, and my heart thudded with happiness.

I turned around without a sound, placing my hands on the steam-clouded cubicle wall. He let out an appreciative moan, and I jolted as, seconds later, he thrust hard into me from behind. I spread further and further for him, my hard nipples pressing against the glass, as he pounded me, frantically stroking my clit until the two of us cried out and shuddered with ecstasy.

Twenty minutes later, I reluctantly kissed him goodbye, and walked out into the cool evening air, already making plans for tomorrow evening, when I would see him again.

There were two routes back to the station, one round by the main road, and another, quicker one that ran past an old warehouse. I chose the latter, and found myself walking down a cracked, grassy path.

I rounded the corner of the warehouse. Suddenly, a leather gloved hand clamped over my mouth, whilst another arm gripped me around the waist. I struggled, and tried to scream, then I felt the cold steel of a sharp knife against my throat.

‘Be quiet,’ said an ominously calm male voice. ‘One move, and you’re dead.’

I started as a needle spiked the back of my hand, and I realised, in my panic, it was a hypodermic syringe. Images whirled in my mind, before everything was overturned in confusion, and darkness claimed me.


	11. Chapter 11

Maddy:

Rob and I spent a blissful Sunday together, walking hand in hand through Regents Park. The spring air was light and fresh, the trees frothy with white and dark pink blossom; it was so beautiful, it looked as if we were walking through a film set.

It was mid-afternoon when we decided to stop off at a cosy local pub. We ordered a delicious Sunday lunch – roast chicken for me, roast beef for him, both served with roast potatoes, fresh spring vegetables and a veritable sea of gravy. 

‘Hmm. This is lovely, isn’t it?’ Rob said, as I fed him with a spoonful of warm, meltingly soft potato. ‘Almost as delicious as you.’ 

‘Well, nothing could possibly be as tasty as you, darling,’ I said, rubbing my calf against his shin.

‘Oh well, let’s call a truce and say we’re both pretty darn edible,’ Rob said, leaning forward and kissing me.

I sighed with pleasure, and laid my knife and fork together on my plate with a satisfied clatter.

‘That was gorgeous. So much of it, though. I’ll wait a while before dessert,’ I said. ‘Do you mind if I text Lara?’

‘Not at all,’ he said. ‘I’ll study the menu for you.

I took my mobile and texted the following:

‘Hi there luvly. All good? M :)’

I smiled, anticipating her response. Several minutes went past, as Rob read the dessert menu in contented silence.

‘That’s odd,’ I said. ‘She usually gets back straight away.’

‘Oh well,’ said Rob, ‘something’s probably come up.’

‘Hmm. Yes, I can imagine it has…where Tyler’s concerned, anyway…’ 

Rob smiled.

‘Ah, thanks, yeah, that’s his name, I was trying to remember it. Let’s see, it’s…’ he consulted his watch, ‘a month and a half since they met. They might be able to keep their hands off each other for one evening, so how’s about we invite them over?’

‘Hmm. Yes, that would be nice. An intimate dinner, just the four of us.’

‘Now,’ said Rob, reading the dessert menu again, ‘what do you fancy – profiteroles, apple crumble or chocolate fudge cake? I’m having all three.’

I laughed. ‘You’ve got hollow legs, I swear!’ He leaned forward and kissed me.

‘I need to keep my stamina at a high level,’ he murmured in my ear, ‘you know I’d never want to disappoint you.’

‘Oh, my darling,’ I said, ‘you never will.’

I put my worries out of my mind, and we spent a blissful evening at my mews house, making love. The next morning, Rob left early for rehearsals. I showered, dressed and sat down at my desk, preparing to organise my next party. I still worked, part time, as a PA for Sir Justin, with another girl helping me out, so my day was busy. During a lull between phone calls, I switched on my mobile to check my text messages.

Lara still hadn’t replied. Concerned, I phoned her work number, and asked for her.

‘Hi,’ said the bubbly receptionist, ‘London Securities, how can I help you?’

‘Hello,’ I said, trying to keep the wobble out of my voice, ‘is Lara Flynn there?’

‘Wait a moment…’ she said, and I was put on hold, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons looping down the line.

‘…No, I’m sorry, she hasn’t come in today. Can I take a message?’ the girl said.

‘Yes,’ I said, worried now. ‘My name’s Maddy Briar. I’m a friend of hers. Could you ask her to ring me? She has my number.’

‘Of course,’ she said, sounding concerned. ‘Can I take your number? As soon as we’ve heard from her, we’ll get in touch.’

I focused hard, over the next few hours, until the clock showed six in the evening. I shut down the computer, showered and changed. Rob was due over at seven o’clock.

At five minutes to seven, my landline phoned. I picked it up, to hear Lara’s mother’s voice.

‘Beverley!’ I said, smiling. We’d got on very well from our first meeting, and had spent many happy afternoons having coffee in Hampstead.

‘Nice to hear your voice, Maddy,’ she said, quavering slightly. ‘Look, I’m probably making a fuss about nothing, but…have you heard from Lara?’

‘I’m afraid not,’ I said, my blood turning to ice. Lara always, always phoned her mother on Sunday evenings.

‘Well, darling, if you hear anything…please would you let me know?’ she said.

‘Of course I will, Beverley,’ I said, trying to sound upbeat.

She let out a sound like a sob, and the line went dead. I was frozen to the spot with horror. At that moment, the doorbell rang.

I ran down the stairs, and opened the door. Rob, thank God, was standing there. I fell into his arms, weeping.

‘Lara’s missing,’ I sobbed. His mouth fell open.

‘Oh shit,’ he murmured, hugging me. ‘Sweetheart, come upstairs. I’ll make you coffee.’

He departed to the kitchen, and I lunged for the phone. I called the number of the nearest police station. A warm, male Scottish voice answered:

‘Hello. This is DI Carlisle. How may I help you?’


	12. Chapter 12

At 7pm on Sunday evening, Ada’s eyes opened, and she gazed out into near-darkness. As her brand-new vision focused and cleared, she detected pale strips in her vision: the slats in Tyler’s wardrobe door. She lay still for a moment, adjusting to her new status.

She had been programmed to expect a radical update, but this was something brand new: a near-sentient body, capable of speech, and thought and movement. She opened and closed her mouth, running the strange, snake-like object known as a ‘tongue’ over her teeth. 

Nerves claimed her, and she whimpered, looking in the recesses of her memory for her newest software, Winged Serpent 2.0. It was strangely configured, but she was reassured that it was the most reliable available. There seemed to be a number of robed figures in her head, telling her exactly what to do, what to think, how to behave. In her new state, she reasoned, she needed all the guidance and security she could have.

Her limbs jerked, as she felt her system updating, and she saw an aerial view of the four robed figures, in her mind’s eye. 

‘Ada’, one of the figures said, ‘are you ready to carry out your task?’

She closed her eyes and communicated with them telepathically.

‘What is it that you bid me do?’

‘We will give you your instructions. They are designed to keep you safe. Don’t worry your pretty little head about anything else.’

She nodded as they gave her the instructions, and then she reached for the holdall beside her that had arrived with her all those months ago, when she had been delivered to Tyler’s front door.

Two hours later, Tyler was on the Docklands Light Railway, returning home from another assignment. He was somewhat puzzled about this one. It was another suspected case of adultery, and he’d expected the woman to turn up at a nightclub at 7pm. He’d waited for a glimpse of her meeting her lover, but she never arrived. Even more strangely, he’d had a call from his client, the woman’s husband, to tell him that his services were no longer required.

He felt a little deflated. It wasn’t the greatest job in the world, but he felt a little bit slighted. Yes, he was going to be paid commission for his time, and as far as he knew, he could keep his flat for as long as he liked. Even so, everyone wants to feel appreciated in their job, he thought.

He thought of Lara, and cheered up. He thought about phoning her, but decided against it; she would be hard at work on her project. They could always meet up tomorrow.

His cock shifted in his tight jeans, and he sighed, contentedly, covering his erection with a nearby discarded Sunday newspaper supplement. He spent several happy minutes thinking about their last few lovemaking sessions, until the second-to-last stop, when he had to think of standing naked in an Antarctic landscape in an attempt to cool off before he disembarked. It didn’t work, because he immediately thought of Lara, naked and on all fours in a snowdrift, tossing her hair and gasping with pleasure as he fucked her from behind. Oh well, he thought, smiling to himself, everyone’s so preoccupied, perhaps they won’t notice the flagpole.

He hummed to himself as he walked home, taking his keys out of his pocket and catching them one-handed. Unlocking his front door, he ran jauntily up the steps, pushed the main door open and turned on the light.

A red-haired figure dressed in a maid costume was standing at the kitchen sink, its rubber-gloved hands thrust deep into warm, foaming dishwater. At the sound of the light switch, it turned.

‘Hello, Tyler,’ said the figure, in a young woman’s voice.

He let out a shocked yell, and prepared to rush out. The figure gave him a rictus smile.

‘Don’t be scared, Tyler. It’s only Ada.’

‘Ah…yeah, course ye are. Right,’ he said, getting over his initial shock and taking her in. ‘What the bloody hell are ye wearing?’

She giggled in response, and held up her foam-covered hands. 

‘Do you like it?’ she said, giving him a twirl. Her short skirt, worn above a profusion of petticoats, rippled above her stocking-clad thighs.

‘Yeah…it’s OK, I guess,’ he said, bemused. ‘Not really my sort of thing.’

She pouted at him, obviously expecting a more enthusiastic response.

‘What are ye doing?’ he said.

‘I noticed the dishes hadn’t been washed, Tyler. I’m washing them for you.’

‘Hmm, that’s kind of ye, but I’m quite capable of doin’ them myself, thanks.’

‘But you need someone to look after you properly,’ she said, blinking seductively at him. She approached him, swaying her hips.

‘You need a real old-fashioned woman,’ she said, smiling up at him. ‘Someone who’ll cook, and clean, and do everything you tell her to do. I’m still the same Ada, you know. I’ve always served you, but I can do so much more, now.’

She stroked his face, and he flinched slightly.

‘I can get on my knees and give you oral sex every night when you come home,' she purred, ‘isn’t that what every man wants?’

‘That’s a kind offer, Ada,’ he said, feeling out of his depth. ‘Thing is, I’ve got a girlfriend and…and our love life is perfect, thanks.’

She nodded, her face a perfect blank.

‘I understand what you’re saying.’

She turned on her heel, and walked back into the kitchen. Tyler sighed with relief, sat down on the sofa, and flicked on the TV.

In the kitchen, Ada closed her eyes and communicated with the robed figures.

‘He is resistant. What should I do?’

The robed figure smiled, with an expression close to benevolence.

‘Then it is time for Plan B. Listen carefully.’


	13. Chapter 13

Maddy:

Rob and I sat holding hands in the police interviewing room, as DI Carlisle, his long feet crossed upon the table, leaned back in his swivel chair and stared at the ceiling.

‘And she hasn’t contacted anyone for 48 hours, is that right?’ he said.

‘That’s right, sir,’ I said. ‘I knew something was wrong when she didn’t answer my texts. When I found out she hadn’t phoned her mother, then, well…’

DI Carlisle brought his feet back to the floor, causing the chair to skid and clatter. 

‘Do help yerselves to pastries, by the way,’ he said, in a friendly tone.

I stared at the vast tray of goodies on the table. DI Carlisle took a puff pastry star from the tray and bit into it, his eyes closing with pleasure.

‘Mmm. Apricot, my favourite,’ he said.

‘They do look good,’ said Rob, his eyes shining.

‘Help yerself,’ said DI Carlisle, ‘I’ll eat them all otherwise.’

Rob reached forward to the tray, and glanced over at me.

‘Darling?’ he said. ‘Please eat something.’

Smiling palely, I took a small pastry square. It turned out to have apple and cream within it, and it was quite delicious. DI Carlisle finished his apricot pinwheel and shook the crumbs that had migrated up his sleeves onto the floor, sucked his fingers with satisfied smacking sounds, then thrust his hands deep into his pockets. I wondered, suddenly, that surname…was he the Peter Carlisle with whom Lara had had that fantastic one-night stand? I tried to put the thought out of my mind; it was hardly the time or place to speculate.

‘I’m glad you told us so quickly,’ he said. ‘We’ve got people working on the case now. You can be assured we’ll do everything in our power to find her.’

I noticed a poster on the wall, depicting a smiling young woman with straight shoulder-length hair. ‘Missing: Ada Morris,’ declared the red capital letters. I nodded towards it.

‘Do you think Lara’s disappearance is linked to hers?’ I said.

DI Carlisle stared up at the ceiling. 

‘Honestly?’ he said. ‘We don’t know. We hope not. We’ve got no reason to think there’s a link, certainly not at this stage.’

His words seemed to echo, and the room faded in and out as he talked. My cheeks felt damp when I came back to myself: I realised I was crying.

Rob hugged my shoulders, and DI Carlisle reached into his capacious pockets.

‘Sorry love. This must be so difficult for ye, let me get you a hankie…’ he said. Bits of paper, pens and half-unwrapped sweets fell to the floor from his pockets as he searched.

‘Ah, here we go,’ he said, finding one and handing it to me. I wiped my swimming eyes. He nodded kindly.

‘Now, take your time…I need to get an idea of where Lara might have been, whom she might have been seeing. Any unusual circumstances whatsoever. Had she argued with anyone recently?’

 

Several hours later, we thanked him and left. I felt reassured in a way – despite his disorganised appearance, he was certainly very intelligent and thorough - but I still felt desperately worried for Lara. Rob held my hand, steering me through the crowded pavements, until we reached home again.

I felt wretched. Rob ran me a bath and undressed me, helping me into the foaming water. He washed my hair as I lay back weakly into his arms, the steam rising up into my face. I felt drowsy, murmuring softly as he washed me, his sure, strong hands coating me with lavender-scented soap, then rinsing me again with warm, soft water.

He wrapped me in towels to dry me, and led me to the sitting room. We sat in front of the fire, not speaking, just holding hands and gazing at each other, as the fire burned lower and lower in the grate, and the light failed outside.

We wandered up to bed, and lay together, his arms crossed around me from behind. Desire rose in me and I called his name, sliding against his hardness until he entered and completed me, once more, our fingers interlocking until the world came apart and, for several blissful moments, nothing else mattered.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for disturbing rape and murder references in this chapter.

I woke and gazed up into a sea of red velvet. For a second, I thought I was lying in some kind of ornate coffin, and I sat bolt upright, crying out and clasping at my heart. Then I realised I was sitting on a luxurious four-poster bed. Fresh panic crested through me: where the hell was I?

I looked around. It occurred to me that my kidnappers had drawn their taste in décor from any number of bad romance novels: there were red rose petals on the bed, huge, gaudily ornate mirrors on the walls, and gold taps on the freestanding washbasin. Every surface was covered by tiny, glittering tea-lights, which on closer inspection turned out to be battery-operated. The ensuite bathroom was covered with mirror tiles, and the huge bath itself looked like it was made out of solid gold; I blinked in the glare and turned the light off again.

I sat down on the bed to collect my thoughts. Whoever had brought me here didn’t intend to harm me – not yet, anyway. I shivered and hugged myself, trying to calm my breathing. 

The door swung open, and an arrogant-looking young man stepped in, followed by a short, slim figure with matted hair, bearing a tray containing a teapot, a cup, and milk jug, and a silver salver. He stood with bowed head within the door frame.

‘Good morning, Lara,’ said the first man, smoothly. ‘I thought you might be hungry, so I arranged for breakfast to be brought to you.’ He looked round at the man who stood in the doorway, and gave him a look of indescribable contempt.

‘Set the damn tray down on the table, for God’s sake,’ he snapped. The man crept forward and set it down on the Louis XIV-style dressing table, his hands shaking as he did so. 

‘Who are you?’ I said, quaking with fright. ‘Why have I been brought here?’

The man smirked at me.

‘I suppose it doesn’t matter if I tell you, under the circumstances.’ He studied his fingernail, then started pacing the room.

‘My name is Josh Bentley. Founder member and leader of secret society, The Winged Serpents. Our aim is the complete subjugation of women. Starting with you, Lara. You should feel honoured, you know.’

I must have been staring at him open-mouthed, because he then laughed.

‘Get used to this suite, because you won’t be leaving it again,’ he said. 

‘What’s going to happen to me?’ I said, my voice no more than a whisper.

‘Our members are searching for a suitable breeding partner for you,’ John said, matter-of-factly. ‘It’s the beginning of our plan for women under 40. They’ll be the brood mares for the next generation, whilst their replicas are sent out into the world to serve the men.’

‘And the women over 40? What happens to them?’ I asked, horrified.

‘The standard procedure will be incineration,’ he said, and smiled at me.

‘You maniac!’ I screamed, and went for him. I slapped his face, hard, and then two burly men appeared from nowhere and pinned my arms behind my back. 

Josh was clasping his cheek. 

‘That really hurt me, you bitch,’ he hissed. Good, I thought.

‘Go and get the doll,’ he barked at his servant, who nodded in a frightened fashion and disappeared around the corner. Seconds later, he reappeared with a lifesize walking doll, and as they drew closer I found myself gazing into my own eyes. The doll smiled, as if recognising me.

‘What the hell…?’ I said, almost dumbstruck.

‘This is Lara Mark II,’ Josh said nastily. ‘A new, enhanced version of you. She’ll be united with Mr Ryan soon, and I daresay he’ll find her a distinct improvement on the old Lara. Don’t struggle,’ he said in a warning tone, as I tried to break free from the grip of the guards, ‘I doubt you want your arms broken.’

I slumped, defeated, feeling sick and broken. Tears started to course down my face. 

‘I don’t know why you’re crying, Lara. You’ll be treated perfectly well, and you’ll be quite safe, of course – well, up to your 40th birthday, anyway. Now, eat your breakfast, won’t you? You’ll need to keep your strength up. See that she eats it,’ he snapped at the servant, as he left with the guards.

The servant sat with me, head bowed, as I ate the cereal, toast and bacon and eggs from the tray. The food was good, but in my state of consternation I could barely taste it. After I’d finished the last of the tea, he picked up the tray and left, closing and locking the door behind him.

I lay on the bed, staring up into the drapes for a few seconds, and then heard the sound of weeping from the next room.

I crept over and listened through the wall for a few seconds.

‘Hello?’ I said, in a whisper.

‘Hello,’ said a young woman’s voice. ‘Are you new here?’

‘My name’s Lara. Yours?’

‘Ada. Ada Morris. I’m frightened, Lara. Can you help me?’

My heart sank.

‘I’ll try,’ I said.


	15. Chapter 15

DI Peter Carlisle bunched his hands deep inside his coat pockets as he stepped out into the cold evening air, pondering the case. He had been shocked and saddened to hear that Lara was missing, but of course he could not reveal his emotion to the nice young couple he had just interviewed. It was imperative for him to stand back and apply his considerable intelligence to finding her as soon as possible, unclouded by anger or sorrow.

He gathered his coat around him as he walked. It would be necessary to speak to Tyler, this new boyfriend of hers. Both of his interviewees seemed to think he would not be someone who would harm her. Then again, he thought, glancing up to where the spring sun burned through the clouds on the horizon, turning them crimson, you can never tell from appearances. Never. 

He shivered slightly, and not from the cold. The other main suspect was her ex-boyfriend, Tony Ryan. He had not gained a good impression of Tony from Lara’s account of him, during a lull in the wild night they had shared together – he had sounded emotionally immature and shallow. Jealousy was very much a feature of that kind of personality, he thought, and jealousy won’t listen to reason. And as Goya stated, the sleep of reason produces monsters. He recalled Ripley Holden’s words:

“I wanted to kill you. And her.”

He raked his fingers through his hair. Natalie. The love of his life. He smiled, incredulously, still overwhelmed by the fact that she loved him too. It had been a long, hard day, and he couldn’t wait to see her.

He had behaved badly himself, in his desperation to be with her – chiefly to his former colleague Blythe. Despite the fact it had happened months ago, he shuddered with shame. His mind turned back to his last sight of Lara, sitting in the café, telling him she wanted to start a new life. And he’d kissed her goodbye and watched her go, before noticing Blythe glaring at him through the window.

Was it possible that Tony had gone in search of Lara, and heard something of their liaison, perhaps through a chance remark of Blythe’s that had, somehow, crawled through the grapevine and back to Tony? He was no stranger to how quickly rumour can grow, and swell, and distort everything. 

He swallowed hard, trying to keep his clambering panic down, and turned a corner. He saw a couple walking some way ahead. The woman was wearing what looked like a school uniform – perhaps a hen night costume – and her long, shining black ringlets hung down her back. She wore very high heels and long white socks, and she was holding the hand of a man with thinning blond hair who was a couple of inches shorter than her. She turned her head and laughed at something he said, and his heart turned over: it was Lara.

He took the photograph of Tony Ryan from his pocket and studied it, then looked at the man again: yes, that was Tony, alright. Turning up the collar of his blue greatcoat, he loped behind them at a respectable distance, his eyes never leaving them for a moment.

What’s going on, he wondered. Lara had made it clear it was all over with Tony – why on earth would she take the step of moving halfway across the country to get away from him, and then take him back? He didn’t know her well, but she was clearly no fool. As he watched them, it became clear she was behaving strangely. She was hanging on his every word and nodding, almost robotically, and smiling at evenly-placed intervals. Has she been hypnotised or something, he thought.

The couple disappeared into an alley, and, concerned for Lara now, Peter stood at the entrance and craned his neck to watch. He saw Tony seize Lara’s long black curls, and heard him say:

‘Time for you to do your duty, Lara.’

‘Yes, Master,’ she answered, meekly, as she descended to her knees amongst the heaped bags of rubbish.

Peter let out a gasp, and looked away, not wanting them to see him. This was so unlike the Lara he’d met – he knew, instinctively, that she wouldn’t be so helplessly submissive with anyone. He had seconds to decide what to do; it was possible Tony was armed.

He turned towards the alleyway, and as he did he felt a steel object digging into his back.

‘Hands up,’ growled a menacing male voice. Peter raised his hands straight away, knowing exactly what the object was.

‘Now get in the van,’ said the voice. Peter clambered into the van, in which several other figures, concealed in monkish robes, were sitting. He joined them, his hands clasped behind his head, as the doors were slammed shut and the engine started running. He dared not reach for his phone but he no longer had a gun poking him in the ribs, and he found the courage to ask a question.

‘Would ye mind tellin’ me what the hell’s goin’ on?’ Peter said quietly.

‘Shut up!’ hissed another male voice from the concealed figure next to him. ‘Keep quiet, if you value your life.’

Then the figure tore off its hood, and he found himself looking into a pair of cold, familiar eyes.


	16. Chapter 16

Peter started. The inside of the van was almost too dark to make out the man’s features, but he recognised the voice.

‘Allbright!’ he whispered.

DCI Jim Allbright chuckled mirthlessly. 

‘Well, well. DI Carlisle. Fancy seeing you here.’

Peter looked around in fear at the still, sinister figures.

‘Thing is, Carlisle,’ Allbright continued, in the overbearingly smug tones Peter had always disliked and distrusted, ‘we’re nothing special. We’re just a bunch of ordinary guys who happen to think women ‘ave ‘ad it all their own way, for too long. We’re just putting them back in order again.’

Silence fell, and Peter’s mind spun, trying to make sense of what Allbright was saying. Allbright cleared his throat, then continued.

‘And you were getting a bit too close to Lara for comfort, weren’t you?’ he said. Peter’s skin prickled with fear.

‘What have ye heard, then?’ he whispered.

‘Nothing. Should I? Do you have something to confess?’ Allbright said, sounding puzzled. Peter relaxed slightly: Blythe hadn’t told him. 

‘No.’

‘We’re here,’ said a voice. 

Peter started again as a blanket was thrown over his head, cutting out the light, and he heard the van doors swing open as he was manhandled outside. As they pushed him along, he felt them going through his pockets, removing his possessions. He walked a long way, close to panicking, digging his nails into his palms to keep his composure, until finally the blanket was swept from his head, and he found himself face to face with his former employer. He appeared to be in a long, wood-panelled corridor.

Allbright smiled, nastily.

‘This is where we leave you, Carlisle. And I don’t want to hear any more squawking from you, you understand? Some men would pay for what you’re about to get. Well – I would, anyway. And make sure you do get some action – you’ll both be checked later.’

The door was opened, and Peter was shoved inside. It slammed behind him, and he heard it being locked from the outside. He looked around in consternation, towards the ornate, red-velvet draped four poster bed.

A figure wearing a black negligee was lying curled up on the sheets, her face obscured by shining black ringlets of hair. And then she lifted her head and turned her tear-stained eyes towards him. His heart flipped over.

‘Lara!’ he cried, almost running over to her. He embraced her, holding her tightly against him, as they both trembled.

‘Peter!’ she sobbed, ‘Oh God, I’m glad to see you!’

He bit his lip as he rocked her; it wouldn’t help her to see him crying, too, he thought. Nonetheless, a tear shone on his cheek as he broke away and smiled encouragingly down at her.

‘It’s OK,’ he said, his voice shaking slightly, patting at his pockets. ‘Ah, what’s this wee thing?’ he said, as he detected something. ‘The stupid fuckers forgot to take my notebook. And look, there’s a pen attached to it – handy.’

He withdrew the notebook, then removed the top of the pen with his teeth, then sat down on the bed, turning his wide eyes towards her.

‘Now, Lara, take yer time…tell me everything that happened.’

She told him everything from Maddy’s excited phone call in January inviting her to the masked ball where she met Tyler. He asked her if there was anything that might cause her to suspect Tyler. Lara said there was not, and went on to mention the Ada doll. Peter’s eyebrows furrowed.

‘A life-size doll in the wardrobe? Peculiar. What was she doin’ there?’

‘I don’t know myself, Peter. Tyler said she was an upgrade from the old computer programme he’d had. I said she gave me the creeps, and he said he’d felt the same. Anyway, I tried to forget about it, but…’

She sighed suddenly, and lay back on the bed. 

‘It’s all connected. The organisation that kidnapped us is called The Winged Serpents. They’re an extreme misogynist secret society, dedicated to crushing women. They’re kidnapping women and replacing them with dolls. They plan to incarcerate and rape all women under 40 until they conceive, and kill all the others. They created a replica of me, and they’ve sent it to Tony – that ex boyfriend of mine. Oh God,’ she said, her hand flying to her mouth. ‘Tyler – do you think Tyler’s safe with that Ada doll?’ 

‘I don’t know, Lara,’ said Peter, shaken. ‘There was an underground group the police were keeping tabs on named AD1, and God knows they were bad enough. We had tabs on this man who led them – Steve Ambrose - but he seems to have disappeared…it sounds like this might be a much more dangerous offshoot of that group…’

He frowned, deep in thought for a moment. Then his face brightened.

‘We’re doin’ everything we can to get you out. Ye’ve got a lot of friends, Lara. Maddy Briar reported you missing in record time. Your mum, too, and we’ve had at least 30 other calls. We’ll get you out of here, I promise.’

He hugged her again.

‘Peter?’ Lara murmured into his hair. ‘Has a woman called Ada Morris been reported missing?’

‘Aye, she has. Why d’ye ask?’

‘She’s in the room next to this one.’

‘She’s what?’ Peter said, startled. Lara took his hand and led him over to the far wall, and knocked.

‘Ada?’ she whispered.

‘Yes?’ said a faint, tearful voice.

‘This is a friend. DI Peter Carlisle,’ Lara said, then leant back as Peter took her place.

‘Ada?’ he whispered. ‘Don’t worry. We’re gonna get you out of here. And trust me, the bastards who did this are gonna pay for what they’ve done.’


	17. Chapter 17

Andy Marriott disembarked from the Docklands Light Railway and descended the railway platform steps, on his way to his friend Tyler’s home. As usual, Tyler had managed to leave something behind at a party – in this case, an overcoat – and he hadn’t been in touch recently. It had been hanging on the back of the front door for ages.

‘For God’s sake,’ Jude had said, ‘either invite him round and make sure he picks it up, or drop it off at his place. It’s beginning to feel like we’ve stolen it.’ 

Andy smiled as he thought of Jude. Five years he’d been with her, and every day felt like their first day together. He whistled as he walked down the near-empty streets to Tyler’s house, and rounded the corner. Tyler was lucky to live there for free, but he didn’t know if he could live there himself. He must be rattling around in all that space, he thought, and reflected once more how happy he was to live with Jude in their cosy flat in busy, cluttered Hackney.

Still, he thought, Tyler seemed to be getting on very well with the woman he’d brought to the party, Laura or Lara or someone. Very well indeed, he thought, with a grin, remembering how they’d vanished into the garden together. She seems nice, we’ll invite them both over for dinner, he thought, walking past an electrical store window. An array of television screens were showing Lara’s face with the legend MISSING in big white letters, on the local news.

He rang the doorbell, and saw a female figure trotting down the glass-fronted stairwell towards him. Then the door swung open, and a woman with shoulder length red hair and wearing a maid’s outfit stood smiling up at him.

‘You must be here for Tyler,’ she said, ‘please come in, sir.’

‘Um, yeah. My name’s Andy. Hello,’ he said, confused, extending his right hand to shake hers. She didn’t respond.

‘Do come up, sir,’ she said. Weird, he thought, but he followed her up anyway.

‘Hi mate,’ Andy said, as he walked into the living room at the top of the stairs. ‘Brought you your coat. Don’t know if you remember but you left it at ours. How are you doing?’

Tyler was lying on the white sofa, wearing a white T shirt and blue track suit bottoms, and his long, slim feet were bare. He looked exhausted, and didn’t stir at the sound of Andy’s voice.

‘You alright?’ Andy said.

‘…Yeah…’ Tyler said, after a pause. His eyes were unfocused. ‘Yeah, right, whatever.’

‘Are you ill?’

‘…I must be…’ Tyler said, after a long pause. Andy noticed that he could barely keep his eyes open. Looking down, he could see a half-empty cup of tea on the glass-topped coffee table. 

‘So…how’s it going?’ Andy said, looking around uncertainly. Tyler’s apartment, unusually, was spotlessly tidy, and the strange young woman was tidying up around them.

‘Oh, you know. Same old…yeah, that’s Ada, and it’s not what ye think…’ Tyler said. Then he closed his eyes, and his head lolled on the sofa cushions. His breathing slowed, and within seconds he was fast asleep.

What’s going on, Andy thought. He remembered Tyler saying something about an old computer programme called Ada – a virtual assistant who gave him advice, and the webcams that had been installed in his home. 

‘Would you like a cup of tea, sir?’ Ada said. Andy glanced at the tea cup on the table.

‘No thanks,’ he said, turning to face her. She smiled sweetly and blandly at him. He noticed that she blinked every five seconds, and found himself staring at her, counting them. She continued to smile.

Andy raked his hand through his abundant black curls, and blinked, his eyes watering. He frowned, bent down and gazed closely at her face. Her pupils remained unresponsive, he noticed.

Nothing there, he thought. There’s simply nothing there.

Josh Bentley leant back in the leather-upholstered armchair in his wood-panelled quarters. He tossed his copy of the Daily Mail onto the floor, before turning his head to gaze at the screens on the far wall. He saw a tall man in his 30s raking a hand through his hair and then bending down and peering into the cameras, his pale blue eyes narrowed with concentration.

Oh shit, he thought. He barked with exasperation as he heard a timid knock on the door.

‘What is it now?’ he called out. The door was opened, hesitantly, and a shabbily-dressed figure with matted hair stood in the doorway, head bowed.

‘Well? What is it? Don’t keep me waiting all day, I’m a busy man.’

‘I’m sorry, Your Honour. I must speak out. This…project you’re undertaking…sorry, sir, but it’s all wrong, it’s just so wrong…’

Josh sprang from the chair, and grabbed the figure by the throat, pressing it against the wall until it gasped and choked, its frail arms windmilling in the air.

‘How dare you question our cause, you runt. How dare you!’ he shouted. ‘Guards! Teach him a lesson!’

He calmly walked over to his chair, and leaned back again as he observed the powerfully-built prison guards throw the cowed figure to the floor, smiling with satisfaction at its writhing and its screams of pain as they kicked it repeatedly.


	18. Chapter 18

Lara:

We spent some time sitting by the wall, talking quietly to Ada. She had been kidnapped several weeks ago and, though she was deeply frightened, it seemed she had not been physically harmed in any way. Eventually, she sounded sleepy, and we took turns telling stories and singing lullabies to her, until she stopped responding.

‘She’s asleep,’ Peter murmured. He stood up, and took my hand in his. Wordlessly, we walked over to the four poster bed, and sat down upon it. Peter lay full length, stretching his long legs out, and placed his hands behind his head. He stared thoughtfully up at the velvet canopy.

‘Some nice little hotel we’ve got here,’ he said, quietly. 

I turned over onto my side, and watched his chest rise and fall. He turned his head slightly towards me, and smiled.

‘What are you thinking about?’ I murmured.

‘Lots of things. Natalie. Wondering what she’s doin’ and when we’ll see each other again. How far this conspiracy’s gonna go. Yerself?’

‘Whether Tyler’s safe…how Mum is. And Maddy, and Rob. All of them worried, wondering where I am…’ I said, looking around. ‘But I’ve no idea. Not a clue. This could be anywhere.’

Peter sighed. 

‘I havenae clue either. They threw a blanket over my head when they snatched me. Mind you,’ he said, his long body undulating as he stretched out again, ‘they didnae knock me out. The van didn’t drive far. I reckon we’re still in London.’

‘Not far then,’ I said, hope clambering through me. ‘Your colleagues must be trying to trace you?’

He gazed up at the drapes.

‘Most of them,’ he said, carefully, and I felt a brief shudder of horror: I’d heard someone address Peter by his surname, just before he was thrown into the room. Were members of the police bound up in this conspiracy, too?

‘C’mere,’ he said, holding his arms out. I clambered on top of him and he wrapped his long arms behind my back. We lay there, quietly, for a long time. Eventually, I stirred.

‘I suppose,’ I said, ‘we should…’

‘Yeah,’ he said. I suppose we both felt shy, suddenly, as we looked away from each other. Then I looked up at him and smiled.

‘Bath?’

‘Yeah, sounds good. I need one.’

I turned on the bathroom light, and felt immediately dazzled by the brilliant lights that blazed on the fractured gold mirrors. Wincing, I turned it off again.

‘Wait a minute,’ Peter said. He left the bathroom and returned moments later with his pockets crammed with the tiny, battery-operated tea lights from the bedroom. Then he laid them against the wall, until the mirror tiles were lit all over with a soft, multi pastel coloured gleam.

I turned on the taps, and we watched as the warm water shone and cascaded into the vast bath. Peter poured vanilla, white musk and lavender bath oils into the stream until a sea of foam started to rise. Then we turned to each other.

‘You first,’ I said to him, smiling. He smiled back, his teeth shining white in the near-darkness, and started to undress. My heart beat a little faster, remembering that fantastic night we’d spent in Blackpool. Naked, he turned off the taps and eased himself into the water.

‘You can watch,’ I said, ‘we’ve done this before, after all.’

I looked into his big, gleaming dark eyes as I undressed, and then he held out his hand for mine, helping me in. We sat facing each other, and he reached out and stroked my hair, running his fingers through it. I did the same to his ever-ruffled, silky hair, and then, slowly, slowly, we bent forward until our lips touched. I savoured the touch of his warm, soft, smooth lips against mine, and sighed as I felt his tongue sliding against mine.

Our kisses grew more passionate: closing my eyes, I could see myself kissing Tyler, and I imagined Peter could see himself kissing Natalie. I held him close and felt his heart thumping against mine, my hardened nipples sliding against his chest. Shifting position, I spread my legs further and gasped into his mouth as my crotch contacted his stiff cock. It felt gorgeous, and I started to rub myself against his hard, slippery flesh, eliciting soft sighs and moans from him. I kissed him with more and more passion as my excitement started spiralling. Eventually he broke the kiss with a loud gasp, and leaned down, peppering my neck with kisses.

‘I think I’m ready now, if you are,’ he murmured.

‘Oh yeah,’ I said, my legs trembling: I was so close to coming. I raised myself up and mounted him, letting out a loud moan as I sank down on his great length. We kissed as I rose and fell and rocked against him. I felt his thumbs deftly stroking my clit, unstoppably, until finally, in the middle of my third climax, I heard him cry out, felt him shudder and stream inside me.

He sighed, and lay back, his head lolling to the side as he caught his breath. Then he sat up once more, and embraced me.

‘Thank you,’ he murmured into my hair.

‘You’re welcome,’ I said.

‘You know something?’ he said, rocking me. 

‘What?’

‘That if I have to be kidnapped by a bunch of homicidal psychopaths, and imprisoned with someone in a ridiculous, trashy Hollywood hotel-style suite…I’m glad that someone is you.’


	19. Chapter 19

Andy stared into Ada’s eyes for a few more seconds.

‘Is there anything you would like, sir?’ she said, simpering up at him, ‘Your wish is my command.’

Andy paused.

‘Yeah, as a matter of fact, there is something I want you to do. Go into the bedroom and find a scarf, or a tie – any suitable bit of cloth will do – and blindfold yourself. Then, I’d like you to sit on the floor, and not move an inch. And that’s an order,’ he said to her.

Ada smiled as she trotted out of the room – she liked taking orders. They reminded her of the days when she was just a computer programme. Life had seemed so much simpler then.

‘Right, Sleeping Beauty,’ Andy said to Tyler’s insensible form, ‘time to get you out of here.’

He opened the front door of the apartment, then hauled Tyler off the sofa and placed him over his shoulder in a fireman’s lift, and prepared to carry him down the steps.

Andy had a strength that belied his slender frame, but he was hardly used to carrying an unconscious man down a flight of stairs, and he had to stop several times in his descent. Tyler seemed to slide and wriggle in his grip. It’s like carrying a giant eel, Andy thought. Eventually, he resorted to grasping Tyler’s firm, rounded arse in order to press the rest of Tyler firmly against him.

‘Sorry for groping you, mate,’ he murmured, ‘but I’m sure you’ll forgive me under the circumstances.’

Finally, he reached the front door of the building. He laid Tyler down on the hall carpet, drew out his mobile from his coat pocket and dialled.

‘Hi,’ he said to the operator, ‘I’d like a cab to take me to the nearest hospital with an A&E Department, please.’

 

Maddy:

I sat opposite Beverley in our usual quiet café in Hampstead, holding her hand. It was obvious she hadn’t been sleeping: there were black circles beneath her eyes, and she looked exhausted.

‘I didn’t know she was in a relationship,’ she said, quietly. ‘This Tyler…you don’t think he had anything to do with it all, do you?’

I shook my head.

‘I don’t think so,’ I said, squeezing her hand. She sighed, and took another sip of tea, the cup trembling as she held it.

‘It’s so difficult to tell what people are really like, isn’t it?’ she said. ‘I said that to the man at the station when I reported her as missing. DI Carlisle, his name was.’

‘I spoke to him too,’ I said. ‘Well, both of us – Rob and me. He seems to know what he’s doing. It’s funny though – last time I phoned, his DCI answered and told me he’d gone on extended leave.’

Beverley gazed ahead, as if she could hardly see me. She placed a sugar cube in her teaspoon and slowly lowered it into her cup, then raised it again, watching as the cube discoloured, collapsed and dissolved in the hot liquid. Then she bowed her head.

‘Would you like anything else?’ the waitress said, suddenly. I hadn’t even seen her standing beside the table. I smiled wanly at her.

‘Would you give us a moment, please?’ I said.

 

When I arrived home, Rob was waiting for me. He swept me into his arms and kissed me, passionately. Desire raced through me, blazing through my anxiety like a forest fire; I had to have him, right then and there.

I manoeuvred him over to the kitchen table as we kissed, hoisted myself up and laid myself flat upon it. Taking the hint, he pushed my tight skirt up around my crotch, then grasped my silk knickers and ripped them in two, exposing me to his gaze.

He unzipped his trousers, releasing his stiff cock, and I raised my legs for him. He took my ankles and placed them on his shoulders, and I shuddered, flooding with anticipation.

‘Oh God, please…’ I managed to say. 

He nodded, and thrust hard inside me so hard that I was propelled backwards across the warm, smooth wood. I gripped the sides of the table and bucked against him.

‘Fuck me, darling,’ I gasped, my blood roaring in my ears, wanting nothing else but this, him, now, pounding inside me and fucking my pain and grief out of existence, my mind freefalling as the world began to fall away.


	20. Chapter 20

Lara:

Peter and I dried each other off with the white, fluffy towels that had been provided for us, then we padded off to the vast, comfortable bed and curled up together under the covers. He stroked my hair until I fell asleep, 

I woke later to a strange noise: a soft scratching across the carpet. Peter had turned over onto his side, holding a pillow against him. I wonder if he’s dreaming of Natalie, I thought as I carefully climbed out of bed. 

I walked to the door, and saw a piece of paper on the floor. I picked it up and saw that it was a page torn from a copy of ‘Treasure Island’, with large, smeared letters scrawled across it. 

‘Listen out for me’, the words said. The light was dim, and I peered more closely at the letters. With a shock, I realised they had been written in blood.

 

Josh Bentley leaned back in his chair and glanced at the security cameras. The one in the centre of the top row – Ada’s camera – didn’t seem to be working for some reason. He tutted crossly and picked up the remote control, and turned it on and off.

The screen went black, then back to the same dark, dusty shade of blue. He picked up the microphone.

‘Can you hear me, Ada?’ he barked.

‘Yes, Master,’ she answered.

‘What the hell’s going on?’

‘This man told me to blindfold myself.’

‘Which man, Ada?’ Josh said, his skin prickling. 

‘Black hair, blue eyes,’ she said. ‘Handsome.’ 

‘The one you saw earlier in Tyler’s flat?’ he said.

‘Yes, Master.’

Oh hell, he thought. That must have been a friend of Tyler’s.

‘Why the hell did you do it, Ada?’

‘I am programmed to obey all men, Master. I was just following orders, as instructed…’

‘You stupid bitch!’ he screamed into the microphone. ‘Don’t you realise what you’ve done?!’

‘I am sorry, Master, if I have displeased…’

‘You’ll be fucking sorry, alright! I’ll take you apart when I get my hands on you! Now, listen to me – take that fucking blindfold off and find that creep, do you hear me?!’

‘Your wish is my command, Master.’

Josh groaned and leaned back in his chair. He picked it up a dart from his desk and hurled it across the room towards the dartboard. It landed with a thud, spearing a photograph of Sir Piers Pomfrey that had been pinned to the dartboard’s centre.

Right in the bastard’s forehead, Josh thought with a smirk. Good.

 

Lara:

‘What happens now?’ I said to Peter, some hours later, when we had both dressed and showered. 

‘I don’t know,’ he said, staring at the wall.

I was trying to stay upbeat, but I couldn’t stop being overwhelmed by anxiety. We were due to be tested later, and who knows what methods they would use, I thought. And what’s going to happen to Peter, will he be retained for future use, or disposed of, I thought, as my mind suddenly froze with horror.

Just then, we both heard a timid knock at the door. Peter stood, and went to answer it. The servant we had seen the previous day was standing there, with a tired, bedraggled-looking Ada beside him. His clothes were torn, and he had evidently been savagely beaten; both of his eyes were bruised and half-closed, and there was a trail of dried blood between his nose and mouth.

‘Come with me,’ he whispered. ‘I’ve ‘ad enough of ‘em.’

‘The security cameras…?’ I whispered. 

He smiled at me, revealing a line of shattered teeth, and drew out a copy of ‘Treasure Island’ from his smock pocket.

‘They let me ‘ave one book,’ he murmured, ‘and I’ve got a good aim. Come on, let’s get out of ‘ere.’

The four of us crept through dark tunnels, twisting and turning in our journey, up winding stone steps, until finally we saw a square of light directly above us.

‘They’ve taken the grating off,’ the servant said, panting. ‘Quick, get up there.’

Ada turned her head and gasped, as we heard the sound of dogs barking in the tunnels behind us.


	21. Chapter 21

Lara:

Peter stood on the highest ledge, then bent to let me clamber up onto his back. I managed to scramble up the length of his body, before grasping the edges of the uncovered grating, and hauling myself up onto the pavement. I sat there, blinking in the bright sunshine, as I saw Peter picking Ada up and coaxing her towards the light. She was terrified, crying with fear. I bent and grasped her hands, and between us we pushed and pulled her to safety. We saw Peter standing on the ledge, and tried to reach him, but our arms were not long enough.

‘Get on me back, mate,’ said the servant. Peter gulped and nodded, and straddled the man’s back. We reached down, and hauled him up, and out of there. We could hear the barking of the crazed dogs, getting closer.

‘Get out of there!’ the servant said in a loud whisper. ‘And tell everybody who’ll listen.’

Peter knelt down towards the grating, and tried desperately to reach him.

‘Don’t worry about me. My life ain’t important,’ said the servant, his voice breaking with emotion. ‘They’ll kill me anyway. Save yourselves.’

Peter gulped. Ada and I were both crying, and I could see his eyes shining with tears too.

‘What’s your name?’ Peter said, quietly.

‘Dan. Dan Smith.’

‘Good man,’ Peter said.

‘Now, go! For Christ’s sake, go!’

Peter nodded, then the three of us joined hands and ran for our lives.

 

The other Ada stood in the doorway of the hospital. She had been ordered to find Andy Marriott, and she had traced a signal from his mobile phone, leading her to this location. She closed her eyes as she walked, and communicated telepathically with her robed Masters.

‘Shall I kill him on sight, Masters?’ she asked, silently.

‘Your function is to find him,’ they intoned. ‘Keep watch, and follow him, and we shall dispose of him in secret.’

She nodded. All around, she could hear signals from other computers around the hospital. It created a constant chatter in her head, almost drowning out the voice of her masters.

Ada rounded a corner. Andy’s mobile had been turned off, subduing the signal, but that was no matter: she could now see him, sitting in a chair next to a hospital bed, in which Tyler was sitting. A doctor was talking amiably to both of them. She ducked inside an empty cubicle and put on a hospital gown, all the time keeping her unblinking eyes on the two of them.

‘I cannae remember what happened,’ Tyler was saying. He looked uncertainly up at the doctor. ‘I had this…guest with me. Last thing I remember, I was drinking a cup of tea she’d made. Then it all got a bit confusing.’

‘You were lucky to be found in time,’ said the doctor. ‘The blood tests showed you’d been drugged over a number of days. Any more morphine in your system would have killed you.’

Tyler went white, and bit his lip. Andy put his hand on his shoulder.

‘Relax, mate. You’ll be OK, you’re in good hands. I’m gonna call the police, OK? Just as soon as I get out of here.’

 

Ada started, then heard Josh’s voice.

‘Is it clear to you now, Ada? Follow that bastard, and keep out of sight, you fucking stupid…security camera!’

Ada’s circuits flashed suddenly, as his voice taunted her again:

‘And I’m an expert at destroying security cameras, Ada. The best there is.’

Ada closed her eyes, data pumping through her electronic mind, as she communicated with the only one of her kind in the known world.

Nearby, the other Lara’s eyes flicked open. She was sitting on Tony’s kitchen floor, wearing a slave costume made up of silver chains. She wore a metal collar around her neck, with a long chain attaching her to the mixer taps over the sink. As Ada communicated with her, she reached up to her neck and tore the collar in half, then stood and walked out of the flat.

Twenty minutes later, Andy left the hospital, turning his face up to the bright sunshine, and turned a corner. He switched on his mobile, and phoned the local police station.

‘Hi,’ he said to the receptionist on the other end. ‘Look, this is all a bit complicated…can I take your address, please? I’ve got something quite weird to report.’

He started suddenly, as a strong pair of hands grabbed him. The receptionist heard a yelp, and the sound of a mobile phone being dropped.

Andy was shoved back against a wall, as a mean-faced man leaned in close and grinned maniacally at him.

‘Sir? Sir?’ said a worried-sounded female voice from the mobile on the floor.

‘You know too much, you bastard,’ said the thug. ‘You’re gonna die, now.’


	22. Chapter 22

Ada waited until Andy had left the ward, then followed him at a discreet distance, walking sure-footedly through the winding corridors. She stood for a moment in the entrance, and then she spotted the robotic Lara walking through the car park. Lara’s long black hair was in disarray, and the bright sunlight glittered off her silver chains, casting dancing spangles on the ground as she walked.

Ada tried and failed to compute why people were staring, pointing and whistling at Lara. A strange human ritual, she reasoned, nothing to concern herself about. Everything seemed to be perfectly logical and in order. The two of them nodded, as their systems synchronised, and the two of them walked around the corner together into a deserted alleyway.

As Ada had anticipated, she saw the human Andy Marriott pinned against a wall. One of her Masters, disguised in civilian clothes, was holding a sharp metal object against Andy’s throat. She could hear her Leader, ‘Josh’, screaming instructions to her.

‘Now. Kill him now!’

‘You’re gonna die, now,’ the Master in front of her said to Andy.

She hesitated as she detected a fault in the programme. The Winged Serpent 2.0 operating system was supposed to serve her by keeping her safe, and to protect her from hackers and viruses. Yet one of the elements – the core of the programme, her Leader – had demeaned her and threatened to destroy her. She blinked as she remembered the words:

‘…you fucking stupid…security camera!…(binary 01, 01, 1,0, 01)…And I’m an expert at destroying security cameras, Ada. The best there is.’

The evidence was clear to her. Winged Serpent 2.0 was nothing but a cleverly disguised virus, and it had to be destroyed.

The two of them stepped forward, as the Master laughed, and Andy’s eyes flashed with fear. Then Ada grabbed the Master’s arms in her powerful mechanic grip and wrenched them behind his back, the knife skittering harmlessly across concrete. Lara balled the fingers of her right hand into a fist and coshed the man across the back of his head. The man fell unconscious to the ground.

They looked at Andy’s gasping, incredulous face with polite disinterest, before turning and walking off together. Andy seized his mobile from the ground.

‘Sorry about that,’ he said, breathlessly into the phone. ‘Anyway, as I was saying…’

 

Maddy:

At 6pm, the doorbell rang, and my heart sank. I just knew that it had to be the police.

‘Darling?’ said Rob, standing. ‘Do you want me to answer that?’

Slowly, slowly, I rose to my feet.

‘Just be with me,’ I said.

We walked to the door together, with Rob’s arm around my shoulders. I opened the door. And there, standing between DI Peter Carlisle and a young woman with shoulder-length red hair, was the person I wanted to see more than anyone in the world.

‘LARA!’ I shouted, my heart thumping with joy. 

I hugged her as if I couldn’t bear to let her go, and she hugged me back, as we both laughed and sobbed. Eventually, she broke away and hugged Rob. I turned and spontaneously hugged Peter. Lara, then Rob, then the young woman joined in. Peter stood looking pleased, if slightly nonplussed, as we all grappled him. Then Lara introduced us to Ada, and we hugged her, too.

Fifteen minutes later, we were all sitting at the kitchen table. I held Lara’s hand, as Rob prepared the teas, coffees and biscuits and brought them over. 

‘So can you tell us what happened?’ I said to Peter.

Peter ran his fingers through his ruffled hair, and helped himself to a fourth biscuit, chewed it, then licked his fingers contentedly. He reached into the pockets of his greatcoat and took out a form.

‘Sorry tae be officious,’ he said, ‘Would ye mind signin’ this confidentiality agreement?’

‘Of course not,’ I said, reaching for a pen.

‘It’s big, this,’ he said. ‘Very big indeed. There’s a huge misogynistic organisation at work in London, and they’ve gotta be stopped. To cut it short, Lara and I were kidnapped…’

I gasped, and squeezed Lara’s hand.

‘It’s OK, Maddy. We weren’t harmed. And we know where they are, now,’ he said, looking over to Lara, who nodded back at him.

‘Is there anything we can do to help?’ Rob said, preparing to lift the tray.

‘No. Thanks, but no,’ Peter said. ‘We’ve gotta deal with it ourselves. Believe me, things are gonna get sticky.’


	23. Chapter 23

It was 1.00am. Ada reached the open grating first. She sat on the pavement and lowered herself through the gap, dropping neatly onto the highest step. Lara followed, stumbling off the step in her absurdly high heels, and tumbling down the steps. Ada ignored her. Finally, Lara righted herself, and the two of them continued their descent.

They walked down the dim, seeming endless steps together, their heels clicking softly in the stillness. It was the time that their Masters would be in sleep-mode, and therefore at their most vulnerable. They silently communicated with each other to stay quiet, stay alert. Eventually, the stairs levelled out and they were walking through twisting corridors, that finally widened out into the Grand Hall.

They walked up the marble steps to the silver-gilt throne. Ada scanned the throne and located her chosen weapon. She drew the golden ceremonial sword from its gilded scabbard and held it up to the blazing lights of the chandeliers, admiring the play of light along its surface. Lara reached underneath the throne and retrieved the silver pistol, pleased to find out that it was loaded. They nodded at each other, then walked out of the Hall and up a set of steps to the sleeping quarters.

They knocked three times on each door, then stood back, waiting for their Masters to respond. Eventually the Winged Serpents emerged in their night-shirts and underwear, tired and cross. They were rubbing their eyes and demanding to know why they had been woken so early, when there was so much important work to be done the next day. Lara levelled her arm, and fired a single shot, which ricocheted off a nearby wall. The men’s eyes widened with panic, and they fled.

‘Sir! Sir!’ shouted a panicked voice outside Josh Bentley’s sleeping quarters.

‘What is it now?’ Josh barked, his eyes at half-mast.

‘It’s the robots, Sir. They’ve gone mad, Sir. I’m imploring you, Sir – run for your life!’

Josh swore, fully awake, now, and stumbled out of bed in his pink long johns – not the most fashionable garment, but damned cosy, he reckoned – and wrenched on a pair of shoes before dashing for the door.

 

‘So how long have we got to wait, Sir?’ DC Kirkwood asked Peter.

‘As long as it takes,’ Peter said, leaning back against the van. They were stationed all around the main entrance to the Winged Serpent’s headquarters – a derelict, boarded up shop in a side street in EC4. There was a considerable backup of armed officers waiting for their orders. He gulped to relieve his dry throat – he didn’t want to betray how nervous he felt – and continued.

‘We don’t wanna antagonise them,’ he said. ‘They may have other hostages by now, and we don’t want to put their lives in danger. I’d negotiate with them, but,’ he said, glancing at the megaphone beside him, ‘these guys aren’t gonnae listen to reason.’

‘I see, Sir.’

‘Right. They’ll start emerging, one by one, and go back to their day jobs. They thrive on being invisible, and that’s how we catch them.’

All was quiet for a few seconds. Then, much to Peter’s surprise, the boarded-up shop door was forced open, and an array of terrified men in their underwear ran towards them, yelling in panic. One by one, they were grabbed and restrained by the backup force, then handcuffed and led up steel steps into a large van.

‘Don’t you know who I am?!’ shouted DCI Allbright, as he was handcuffed.

‘Certainly, Sir,’ said DC Kirkwood, courteously. ‘Now, please would you step into the van?’

Then, last of all, the police force saw two female figures in fancy dress emerge from the shop, holding the arms of a strangely-dressed young man and frog-marching him towards them. Peter knew instinctively who he was.

Ada scanned the arrays of police in front of her, and focused in on Peter. Yes: he was the one who would contain the virus. Her work was done, and she could sleep, now. Her lips curved upwards into a smile, and then she and Lara froze.

Peter sauntered forward and gave Josh an appraising look.

‘Josh Bentley,’ he murmured. ‘And in your night attire, too. We really shouldn’t meet like this, you know. People will talk.’

Josh glared at him. Peter cleared his throat.

‘Joshua Marchmain Bentley, you are under arrest. Ye do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if ye do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything ye do say may be given in evidence…’

‘Oh, shut up!’ Josh spat, struggling to escape the vice-like grip of the robots. ‘You’ll never succeed in convicting me – I’ve got friends in high places – so spare me that politically-correct mumbo-jumbo!’

Peter raised an eyebrow, looking amused.

‘OK then…to put it in language even ye can understand – ye’re fuckin’ nicked!’


	24. Chapter 24

Six weeks later

The courtroom was packed, as it had been through each day of the trial; there was a great deal of public attention attached to this trial. Judge Suzanne Hayman adjusted her half-moon glasses and gazed down at her sheet. 

‘Would Daniel Smith please come to the stand?’ she said, in a clear, ringing voice.

Lara squeezed Tyler’s hand as Dan emerged, looking nervous, in his best suit, and walked up to the witness box.

‘He’s alive!’ she whispered.

‘You are Daniel Anthony Smith?’ asked the adjudicator.

‘That’s right, yes, Sir,’ Dan replied.

‘Please tell this court, in your own words and in your own time, how you came to be employed by the organisation known as the Winged Serpents.’

‘Well…’ Dan started, pulling a handkerchief from his suit pocket and balling it into his fist, ‘it all started three years ago, I think. I was down on me luck, you know, recession and that. They were offering me a job helping out, doing the cleaning and odd jobs, I’d have a bed for the night, it all seemed a good deal, really.’

‘And were you aware of the aims of the organisation that you were joining?’

‘No, Sir. I got me wires a bit crossed. See, I saw them with their robes and that on the Internet, and I thought…well, I thought they were some sort of harmless fantasy group. Like Dungeons and Dragons or something…’

‘Silence in court!’ Judge Hayman snapped, as some people in the gallery laughed. The noise abated. ‘Do continue, Mr Smith.’

‘Thank you, Your Honour. Well, soon as I got there, I found out how wrong I’d been. They beat me for each and every mistake. And then they started beating me for no reason at all. I was made to sleep in a box on the floor, in a freezing cold room…’ 

Dan gulped, and continued. 

‘To cut it short, I found out what they were planning to do. They were planning to kidnap and rape all women under 40 and replace them with robots and kill all those over 40. I was horrified. I tried to talk them out of it, but they only beat me all the harder. They threatened to burn me poor old Mum alive in front of me…’

Gasps of horror were heard around the courtroom. Dan let out a sob, then composed himself.

‘Anyway, they concentrated on breaking my spirit. One day, I went to the Leader, Mr Bentley himself, and begged him to reconsider. I was beaten so badly I couldn’t hardly move. So then I resolved to get out, and, I’m pleased to say, I managed to free two young ladies that are in court today, Miss Lara Flynn and Miss Ada Morris, and also DI Peter Carlisle.’

DI Carlisle, sitting in the third row of the court, remained impassive, but his eyes sparkled. Natalie, who sat beside him holding his hand, smiled at the words. Lara, Maddy and Ada, who sat nearby, squeezed each other’s hands.

‘I managed to escape through an air vent, but only just.’

‘Thank you, Mr Smith,’ said the adjudicator. ‘No more questions.’

The next person on the stand was a pretty 17-year-old girl, Sally Strallen. She looked pale and nervous, biting her lip as she awaited questioning.

‘You are Sally Angelica Strallen?’ said the adjudicator.

‘That’s right, Sir,’ she said.

‘What is your association with the chief defendant?’

‘Well, Sir, last year there was a party in Regent’s Park. My cousin was going, and I thought it might be fun. When I got there, they all seemed a bit rough. Then I met this man called Josh Bentley. He started talking to me, and said he was in a secret organisation called AD1. I didn’t know whether to believe him or not. It was led by his cousin, he said.’

‘That man’s name being Steven Ambrose?’ said the adjudicator.

‘I don’t know. It might be.’

‘The man whose body was recovered from the Thames, just beneath Tower Bridge?’

‘That’s a complete fabrication!’ shouted Josh Bentley’s defence lawyer, standing up.

‘I think you’ll find it’s a matter of public record,’ said Judge Hayman, sharply. The lawyer subsided, muttering.

‘Anyway,’ the girl continued, ‘he started boasting about getting a kid to loot a shop for him during the riots. He said he’d get off without any charges, because he had friends in high places. And then…this leopard walked up to us. Beautiful creature, it was. The youths hit it with burning branches and chased it up the tree, and Josh said he’d set fire to it. I was horrified. But there was nothing I could do, they’d have killed me.’

‘Oh, come off it!’ scoffed the defence lawyer. ‘This girl is clearly delusional!’

‘Mr Klansman, if you interrupt proceedings once more, I shall have to ask you to stand down,’ said Judge Hayman.

The girl paused, then went on.

‘Then these two exotic-looking people ran up to us and begged us to stop. Then the crowd turned on them and pulled their hair, they hurt them. I was shouting at them all to stop – but no one heard me. Then the leopard charged down the tree, and another leopard appeared out of nowhere and ran towards us, and we all ran for our lives. And…well, that’s it, really.’

She stopped, and bowed her head. Judge Hayman cleared her throat.

‘Miss Strallen. Remember the vow that you made before this court. I must remind you that if you are telling an untruth, you will perjure yourself – a very serious offence indeed. Miss Strallen, in front of this court, for the first and last time – is your testament 100% truthful and accurate?’

Sally looked up.

‘Yes, Your Honour,’ she said with dignity. ‘It’s absolutely true.’


	25. Chapter 25

The trial continued. Several more witnesses of the Regent’s Park party the previous year also recounted having seen Davina and Johanna and the two leopards. 

Andy Marriott took to the stand and recounted how he had travelled to his friend Tyler’s house to return a coat, and had found him drugged and incapable at the hands of an android. He went on to say he had taken Tyler to hospital, and had a knife held to his throat by one of the Winged Serpents’ henchmen, and how his life had been saved by two androids. 

Judge Hayman looked at her notes: it all tallied. Two androids matching the description given had been taken from the scene where the Winged Serpents had been arrested, and were under analysis.

It was time for the final witness, and a murmur went through the court as he walked up to the stand, tall, silver-haired, impossibly handsome and impeccably dressed in a dark Paul Smith suit. He took his seat and gazed levelly out at the packed courtroom.

‘You are Sir Piers Pomfrey?’ said the adjudicator.

‘That is correct, Sir,’ said Sir Piers.

‘Occupation?’

‘Philanthropist.’

‘And the former leader of the organisation known as AD1?’

‘That is also correct, Sir.’

‘And at one time you were a notorious and dedicated sexist, is that not the case?’

‘That is true, Sir.’

‘And so you formed AD1, with the aim of asserting male supremacy over women?’

‘Yes, Sir.’

‘Why?’

‘Fear,’ said Sir Piers, simply. ‘I had a strict upbringing as a boy, and I never had the chance to talk to girls, to see them as equal human beings. I desired them, but I was too terrified to talk to them. And as time went on, I didn’t face up to my fear, but let it grow unchecked into hatred.’ 

Sir Piers sighed.

‘It was the worst, and most foolish decision of my life. I thought if I surrounded myself with scared imbeciles like myself, I’d be fine. It led me to do all sorts of stupid things, like trying to steal ancient treasure belonging to the vaults of St Trinian’s School. I mean, what was I thinking, making myself an enemy of those girls? To use a modern idiom, they kicked my arse, and quite rightly, too.’

He took a handkerchief out of his top pocket and elegantly wiped his brow: it was very hot in the courtroom.

‘But would it be true to describe yourself as a reformed character?’ said the adjudicator.

‘Absolutely,’ said Sir Piers.

‘What brought about this change of heart?’

‘Love,’ said Sir Piers, smiling. ‘The love of my beautiful wife and my lovely daughters. They are my life. And, before I met my wife, I employed a woman who became, and who remains, a dear friend, Miss Maddy Briar. They have all taught me so much about the strength, warmth, humour, intelligence, kindness and indomitability of women. They warm my heart, and I would not wish it any other way.’

‘To turn now to ADI,’ said the adjudicator, ‘what contact did you have with your successor, Steven Ambrose?’

‘None at all,’ said Sir Piers. ‘Shortly after being publicly disgraced, I stepped down as leader. I distanced myself completely from the organisation and retired to my country home.’

‘But you might have heard some information about how the group was progressing?’

‘I didn’t seek out any information. It was relayed to me, sometimes. I have to say, though one shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, this Ambrose man sounded most unpleasant, but…no one deserves a death like that.’

‘And what is your opinion of the organisation known as the Winged Serpents?’

Sir Piers turned and looked at the hate-filled faces of the men on trial.

‘Pretty much what any sane person would feel. A mixture of horror and contempt, combined with the pity I feel for people who are motivated by hatred, rather than by understanding.’

‘Thank you for your time today, Sir Piers. No further questions.’

‘Thank you, Sir,’ said Sir Piers. He stood and walked down the steps.

‘The Court will rise,’ Judge Hayman said. All of them stood. ‘The Jury will deliberate their verdicts.’

Several hours later, the courtroom was packed once more, as the Foreman of the Jury took the stand. Judge Hayman stood.

‘Does the Jury find the defendant Joshua Marchmain Bentley guilty or not guilty of the charges laid against him?’

‘Guilty,’ said the Foreman of the Jury in clear, ringing tones. Cheers rang out in the courtroom, as people laughed and hugged each other. Judge Hayman decided to allow a couple of minutes for them to calm down before the verdict on the next defendant was given.

The next day, the court was packed again for the sentencing. Judge Hayman took the stand and gazed down at Josh’s puffy, hostile face.

‘This is one of the most extraordinary and also disturbing cases I have presided over in my 30-year career as a judge,’ she began. ‘I was struck by the utter heartlessness of the plans of this organisation, and, though I rarely use the word, I can only describe them as evil.

‘Joshua Marchmain Bentley, as the originator of this movement, you are its representative. I have been asked to take your many offences into account.’

She consulted her sheet.

‘Such offences being: murder, conspiracy to commit mass murder, conspiracy to commit mass rape, kidnap, false imprisonment, grievous bodily harm, assault and battery, inducing a minor to rob a property for your own personal gain, and cruelty to animals.

‘I have come to the conclusion that you are a clever but highly dangerous young man, with no sense of right or wrong, and that you are and will remain a grave threat to humanity in general and to women in particular. I therefore have no hesitation in giving the maximum sentence my powers will allow. I sentence you to life imprisonment at Her Majesty’s pleasure. Take him down to the cells,’ she said to the court guards.

Josh kicked out and screamed as he was led away, but the cheering in the packed courtroom drowned him out.


	26. Chapter 26

Lara:

‘It was nice round Andy and Jude’s last night, wasn’t it?’ I said, stretching out on Tyler’s huge double bed.

‘Hmm. It was that. I never realised Andy could cook that well, but he’s a bit of a genius when it comes to bolognese sauce, isn’t he?’ Tyler said, kissing me.

‘And Jude’s chocolate cheesecake…wow,’ I said. ‘They’re quite a team, aren’t they?’

‘Let’s invite them over,’ said Tyler. 

He cleared his throat. 

‘What I’m sayin’ is…Lara, will you move in with me? If you’d like to, that is.’

‘Oh Tyler!’ I squeaked, hugging him. ‘I can’t think of anything I’d like more.’

‘Unless you’d rather I move in to your place?’

‘No way!’ I said. ‘It’s much nicer here. More space, more light, more everything.’

‘I guess so, yeah. I feel like I’m rattlin’ round in here, when I’m on my own. They’re gonna make improvements, too,’ he said, ‘ a concierge, and more security. A bloody working lift, too. And absolutely no robots.’

‘Well, thank God for that!’ I said.

The doorbell rang. Tyler raised his eyebrows.

‘I’ll go,’ I said, standing and putting on his dressing gown. I walked down the steps and opened the front door.

‘Hi Lara,’ said Peter, smiling at me.

‘Peter!’ I said, smiling back at him. ‘Won’t you come in?’

‘Just popped in tae check ye’re both OK,’ Peter said a few minutes later in our sitting room. 

‘Fine, thanks,’ Tyler said. ‘My memories are a bit hazy. I spent some time in hospital, getting over the side effects of the morphine, but I’m fine. Lara’s been looking after me,’ he said, slipping a long arm around my waist.

‘I thought she might be,’ Peter murmured, draining the last of his tea.

‘Would ye like some more?’ Tyler said.

‘Yeah, why not?’ Peter said.

Tyler stood and padded over to the kitchen. Peter stood, and sat next to me.

‘Is everything OK, Lara?’

‘It’s fine, Peter. Tyler’s asked me to move in with him. I couldn’t be happier.’

‘Oh good. And that firm he was working for…’

‘That dodgy detective agency? He’s a bright guy, Peter, he realised they were up to something. He’s left them now, and he’s freelancing. His own work, in his own time.’

‘Sounds good. He seems like a good man, Lara. I never really thought he was involved…it’s just that we have to check these things.’

He consulted his watch.

‘Sorry, but I’ve got tae be going, now. Natalie and I are off to the theatre in a bit, and I don’t want tae be late.’

‘That’s a shame,’ I said, ‘Why don’t the two of you come over some time?’

‘That would be nice,’ Peter said, standing. ‘Well, goodbye til the next time, Lara. Take care.’

‘You too,’ I said. We hugged, and he kissed my forehead.

‘I’ll let myself out,’ he said, as he picked up his coat, and walked out of the flat.

‘Where did he go?’ Tyler said with surprise as he walked in with the tea.

‘Oh, he had to leave,’ I said. ‘Why don’t you have it, instead?’

Tyler eyed the cup with some suspicion.

‘Hmm, I’ve rather gone off the whole idea of tea…’

‘Well, I’ve got a better idea,’ I said, walking over to him. We kissed and kissed, stumbling into the bedroom together and collapsing onto the bed, and I gasped as I felt him kissing lower and lower, finally circling my excited clit with firm strokes from his wonderfully talented tongue.

Maddy:

Rob and I were relaxing at home, when my mobile rang. I took it from my bag and returned to bed, Rob hugging my waist and snuggling into my shoulder as I answered it.

‘Hi Lara!’ I said, ‘How are things?’

‘Never better,’ she said. ‘Tyler’s asked me to move in with him!’

‘That’s fantastic!’ I said, laughing, then gasping slightly as Rob kissed my neck.

‘Hello Rob,’ she said.

‘Hello Lara,’ he said in a silly voice, then went back to kissing my neck.

‘I was just thinking, maybe we could all take a break together? We could certainly do with one after the time we’ve had.’

‘The Crown Hotel, perhaps?’ I said, grinning.

‘You read my mind…yeah, it would be a lot of fun. Particularly if those friends I told you about are there. Anyway, I can hear you’ve got your hands full at the moment, so I’ll sign off. Speak soon, lovely.’

‘You too. Take care.’ 

I switched the phone off, and gazed into Rob’s eyes. We were both wearing our mocked-up school uniforms, which by now were more than a little dishevelled, our ties askew, my breasts half-exposed, his shirt unbuttoned.

‘What would they do,’ I murmured, going back into our role-play, ‘if they knew what we were up to?’

‘Ooh, I don’t know,’ Rob said, gasping as I unzipped his trousers and found his stiff cock. ‘Oh, that’s nice. I think…you’d be sent to the headmaster, and he’d spank you.’

‘Hmm,’ I said, as he thrust his hand inside my bra and softly pinched my nipple, ‘I think you’d be sent to the headmistress, and she’d flog you.’

‘But it’s so hard to stop, isn’t it,’ Rob said, his eyes closing in pleasure. ‘Because it just feels so good…’

‘Put your hand here. Yes, just here,’ I said, guiding him. His hand slid inside my knickers and started to move.

‘Oh yes,’ I said, sighing. ‘Far too good.’

He angled his body closer, and kissed me deeply, as our excitement spiralled, then broke the kiss and smiled at me.

‘Then let’s never stop. I love you.’

 

THE END


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